Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

AS the new academic year gets underway, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) has welcomed 450 international first-year undergraduate students from 30 countries and regions.

At the registration site, students greeted Shenzhen in their own languages, bringing together different cultures and perspectives as they began their university journeys in the city.

The university arranged airport pickup services for international students and set up a one-stop registration area on campus.

CUHK-Shenzhen admits more than 2,100 undergraduate students this year, including 450 international undergraduates.

For many of the new students, Shenzhen’s rapid development and technological innovation are among the reasons they chose to study here.

“Shenzhen is a very prospective city,” said Rem Vafin from Uzbekistan. “I believe it has a lot of prospects for me and my career.”

Christian, a freshman from Iraq, was drawn to Shenzhen by its business environment and technological advances, particularly in AI.

“I chose to study in Shenzhen because of the commerce and business opportunities,” he said. “I see a lot of technological advancements here, specifically in the AI sector. I want to bring that back home to my country.”

For Ilona Pomazan from Russia, the city’s technological atmosphere was evident. She said she was particularly surprised by the number of robots she encountered in Shenzhen.

“I was extremely surprised by the presence of robots here, even in my hotel,” she said, describing a robot that delivered food directly to her room and could independently take the elevator to the correct floor.

For these new students, the new semester marks not only the beginning of university life, but also the start of a new chapter in a city known for technology, innovation and openness.