As the fall semester begins, UIC welcomes a new intake of international and exchange-in students worldwide. With diverse backgrounds and experiences, these students bring unique perspectives to campus to enrich UIC's academic and cultural environment.
UIC has received 17 international and exchange-in students this year, hailing from nations and regions including the United States, France, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Indonesia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Hong Kong SAR, China.
McKenzie Grover is a second-year exchange-in student from Concordia College, a liberal arts college in the United States, majoring in Chinese and global studies focusing on East Asia. Grover was drawn to China's culture and history and had studied Chinese for around five years. She also has a Chinese name, Guo Tianci (郭天慈).
McKenzie Grover
Attracted by UIC's location and English-teaching environment, she was determined to explore China from Zhuhai, a city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). She was engaged by the notion of GBA and took a course at UIC. "I hope not to learn about China broadly but dig into one particular region systematically as a case study from the perspective of intercultural communication," she said.
Daniyar Muratuly is a first-year student from Kazakhstan enrolled in the broad-based admission in Journalism and Communication, and he has chosen UIC firmly for its advantages in media industries. With a passion for films and a particular admiration for Wong Kar-Wai, Muratuly was unwavering in his aspiration to pursue a career in the global film industry.
Daniyar Muratuly
He mentioned that UIC's professors were supportive and approachable whenever he sought consultations. "I am interested in filmmaking and I think UIC is where I can get well-trained," he said.
Guillaume Szonyi is a third-year exchange-in student from IÉSEG School of Management, a famous Business School in France, majoring in business management and economics. Upon his arrival at UIC, he was amazed by the campus environment and the city's coastal landscape, which were quite different from his home college in Paris. "The campus is large and modern, and the seaside is quite beautiful," he said.
Guillaume Szonyi
Szonyi said he had already visited some cultural attractions in Zhuhai, like Pu Tuo Temple, and he hoped to explore China by visiting more cities in the future and delving deeper into Chinese culture.
Nancy Xu is a first-year student from the US of the Faculty of Business and Management. The pandemic disturbed her school life in Canada, so she decided to come here and have a good taste of living on campus.
Nancy Xu
"Being at UIC opens up many more possibilities. I get to meet a lot more people and make friends with diverse backgrounds," she said. She had joined the UIC Soup Kitchen Charity Association and looked forward to the upcoming charitable activities.
To welcome the new international and exchange-in students, UIC organised several events, including an orientation tour around the campus and a Mid-Autumn Festival party in which they made mooncakes and painted lanterns to celebrate together.
During the National Holiday, the students also travelled around China, visiting cities including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai, enjoying the high spirit of the holiday and the fascinating city vibe.
From MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia and Grace Yu
Photos provided by Cecilia Yu, Season Li and the interviewees
Editor: Deen He
