Chongqing- 2023 marks the tenth anniversary since the Belt and Road Initiative was launched, dramatically enhancing trade cooperation and related infrastructure with nations from six continents worldwide. Chongqing is located at a critical juncture between the BRI and Yangtze River economic belt, which has raised interest amongst young students worldwide to undertake degree programs at universities based in the city, with many taking advantage of BRI scholarships to foster skills and contribute to development in their respective countries. In this series, iChongqing reporter James Alexander meets with overseas students from five top universities in Chongqing to learn about their impressions of life and study.

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Chongqing - On the expansive green campus of CQUPT, we met Attique Danish from Pakistan, who is studying for a Ph.D. in computer science and technology and is currently president of the International Students Association. Phung Nhu Quynh is an undergraduate from Vietnam who admires the modern facilities and enthusiastic teachers, while the cyber-security student Katmichev Mikhail likes to travel around on convenient public transport and improve his Chinese language skills.

In the future, Attique hopes to extend his five-year stay in China following graduation and plans to seek employment or run a business in Chongqing. Nhu Quynh has found that settling into life has been a simple process thanks to cultural events organized by the university, while Katmichev enjoys the international ambiance with teachers from Egypt and the United Kingdom.

Yan Xiaoyan, Associate Dean of the CQUPT International College, also met with iChongqing to introduce the history of overseas student enrollment, which began in the year 2000. The most popular degree programs on offer are Communication Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, as well as Economics and Management.

In the post-pandemic era, Yan describes how CQUPT is ready to conduct more active enrollment for overseas students and has teaching programs that allow them to adapt to life and study in Chongqing easily.