Good morning everyone!

It is a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Janka, I come from Hungary and I would like to say a few words in the name of 2017 international students.

Why are we here? Why are we in China? What do we expect?

We all have reasons for coming to this school, for coming to SUSTech, and some of these reasons are probably similar for all the students here. We came to learn, and to improve using all the opportunities provided. We came to challenge ourselves. But for me as an international student this challenge may be different. I won’t say harder, though maybe I could, but very very different.

This is China. I didn’t say anything new now, did I? But these three words mean I am in a whole different country, on a whole different continent. The language I cannot understand, the culture I cannot comprehend, and the weather I cannot stand. Yet. But I want to. And that’s why I’m here. Not only to learn biology and chemistry, physics and finance, but to learn about this little part of the world. The question for me was never really why. But why not? Why not use this chance, why not try something I’ve never tried before. Frankly, I couldn’t find enough reasons not to come.

I’ve always been fascinated by Chinese history and food, and customs, but not only that. This is a developing country. And I mean literally. We all know how big, or should I say small this settlement was, only a few decades ago. Look at it now! Is it so surprising that we want to be part of it?  That we want to be part of the developing China?

My impression of this country hasn’t changed much since I’ve arrived here. The labels are still confusing and people still have black hair, small stature and beautiful eyes. But I could have never guessed how welcoming this place will be. Now, i don’t know about any other city, but Shenzhen has been waiting for us with open arms. Our peer mentors are amazing, the children are waving at me, people on campus are going around smiling, and even the ones who do not speak good English are willing to try.

Still, I don’t really know what to expect in the next four years. Hard work? Yes. A few sleepless nights? Definitely. I think I expect this to be worth it in the end. The freedom of choice, the amazing teaching buildings, the labs and our professors will make sure of it.

I’ve never had a grand dream to follow, not really. I’ve always had little ones, tiny wishes that kept me going. In the long run I am not sure this is enough. So I’ve found myself a purpose, a bigger one than before. I want to graduate from here but before that I want to be part of the SUSTech family. You know people in my hometown usually trust in old schools, with old traditions and stable form. It really is tempting to follow in the footsteps of millions of other student, to live in the history that is for example Cambridge University, but here’s the thing. In Shenzhen we are making the steps, we create the things that will later be tradition, and that is even more amazing.

10 or 20 years later I will still want to walk, take the steps to create new things while NOT destroying the old. I want to live in a better world, and I want my children to live in a better world that I had a part in creating. Just a little part. Very little, because there are enough of us, humans, to do it together.

This is my grand dream.

Thank you for your attention.