For students from around the world, a new chapter began this September as they arrived at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU).

This year, BNBU welcomes 2,600 new undergrads to campus, including around 130 international students from nearly 40 countries, around 90 from exchange programmes and the Extended Study Programme (ESP), and 27 participating in the internship programme.

From different countries and backgrounds, they have different reasons for coming here, with the same starting point: BNBU.

On 3 September, the University hosted a welcome dinner for the new international members of the BNBU community. Faculty and staff encouraged the students to make the most of BNBU’s location and distinctive educational approach, while exploring China’s rich cultural heritage and technological innovations. Student representatives also shared their cross-cultural experiences and hopes to strengthen their professional skills while embracing the exchange and integration of different cultures.

Student representatives share their intercultural study experience with the audience

I come for the liberal arts education

Studying abroad is not an easy decision, but for Anna Buldenko, there was one compelling reason to make the journey from Russia and begin her next four years at BNBU.

“BNBU is the first liberal arts university in the Chinese mainland, which fits the expectation of my university education, and that made it the one for me,” she said.

For Buldenko, university is about more than earning good grades. It is also a time for personal growth and exploration.

Drawn to BNBU’s emphasis on whole-person development, she enrolled in the Public Relations and Advertising programme, where she hopes to deepen her understanding of communication and human behaviour while pursuing her interests in photography, art and design, and being part of the creative community here.

Having visited China several times before, Buldenko was already interested in the country and its culture. “I really want to learn Chinese and to be able to chat with locals,” she shared, “so that I can meet a lot of great people here to grow with personally and professionally,” she said.

“I believe that this journey will teach me a lot of new things.”

With four years ahead of her, Anna sees BNBU as more than a place to earn a degree. It is a place where she hopes to explore her interests, develop as a whole person and build connections across cultures.

I am here for professional growth

As a tourism ambassador in her home city of Indonesia, Odelia Ngantung realised her interest in people. Little by little, a decision took shape: she wanted to study human resources abroad.

Once she had settled on her academic direction, only one question remained: where should she go? She began researching universities that offered HR-related programmes, and eventually, BNBU caught her attention.

“I feel like BNBU enables international students to pursue their career paths in a more professional way,” she said. Convinced by BNBU’s academic structure and curriculum, she has joined the university as a first-year student.

Arriving on campus, Ngantung said everything felt almost unreal. “It’s like a dream,” she said. With a large community at BNBU to support newcomers, she felt she was settling down gradually and softly.

“For me, BNBU is more like a community that is beautifully designed, not only for a student, but also for all of them who take part in the university.”

Looking ahead, Ngantung hopes to dig deeper into the field of HR, to remember the knowledge and, more importantly, to understand it. Besides, she also plans to immerse herself in the multicultural vibes on campus.

“I want to make friends with people from different countries and broaden my horizons,” she said.

A journey made possible by global partnerships

Growing up in the US, Paxton Silas always wondered when he would visit Asia. As a fresh graduate from Emerson College in Boston, he found the opportunity through his former university’s partnership with BNBU.

“My university has a partnership with BNBU,” Silas said. Knowing BNBU is situated in the Greater Bay Area immediately lit him up. “I am a seafood lover and really enjoy living by the sea, so I decided to take the chance while I am young,” he said, smiling.

As an intern in the university’s international community, Silas will spend 10 months experiencing life in Zhuhai and exploring the place that he has never visited before.

Even the simple act of getting around campus has required some preparation. “I know I’m going to be walking a lot,” he said. Therefore, the most practical item he packed was a comfortable pair of shoes.

He hopes to travel beyond the Greater Bay Area to cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, sample local seafood and experience China’s high-speed rail network. “I heard that the technology and transportation system here is pretty advanced, and I am looking forward to taking the bullet train during the trips,” he added.

For Paxton, his time at BNBU is just the beginning of a much larger journey, one that will take him beyond the campus and into a new country, culture and language.

New faces. New possibilities. Here, they look out and discover China. Together, they bring new perspectives, experiences and cultures, for a world of possibilities ahead.

From MPRO

Reporter: Cecilia Yu

Video and Photos by Hanna He, Owen Li, Season Li, Cecilia Yu, Juan Rengifo