International students laud tech-driven life

Egyptian university students who visited China this summer expressed strong admiration for the country's seamless integration of technology into daily life, its modern infrastructure and the friendliness of its people, describing their experience as enlightening and transformative.

The four students — from Sinai University and El Sewedy University of Technology in Egypt — participated in a summer school program at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) in July.

The program afforded them a firsthand look into China's technological ecosystem and educational environment.

Shrook Mostafa, 21, a computer science student from Sinai University, described her first impression of China as mesmerizing and highlighted its natural beauty and use of advanced technology.

Mostafa said she was touched by the kindness of Chinese people who are "always willing to help no matter the situation".

She added that she was most impressed by the incorporation of artificial intelligence, mobile ecosystems and high-speed rail transit into everyday tools.

"Everything from going cashless to getting around the city happens through a cellphone," she said.

Mostafa has learned basic Chinese for everyday life, mostly to get around easily and experience the culture firsthand. As a developer, she believes that seeing technology so deeply integrated into daily life is critical to inspiring new approaches to software engineering.

Fatma Haddad Abdelmaksoud, 20, a cybersecurity student from El Sewedy University of Technology, had a positive impression of China, praising its modern development, especially in technology and transportation systems.

She also found Chinese people "very friendly, helpful, and respectful" and enjoyed interacting with fellow Chinese students.

She said her biggest takeaway was that studying abroad is not limited to formal education, but also involves learning to be more independent, open-minded and confident, adding that she took the opportunity to form new friendships. On why more Egyptian students are choosing China to further their studies, she pointed to a growing appreciation of the country's strength in education, technology and innovation, as well as diverse opportunities for international students.

She was deeply impressed by the use of technology in everyday life — from transportation and digital payments to smart services — and highlighted how this experience will enrich her future career in cybersecurity.

Mohamed Elshenawy, 21, an IT and computer science student from Sinai University, said his impression of China was centered around its ongoing efforts to foster growth and strengthen technological innovations and infrastructure development.

As a computer science student, he was particularly interested in China's development in AI and chose to join the program because of HKUST's strong reputation in the field.

"China has become an important global center for technological innovation, which creates attractive opportunities for students who want to develop their knowledge and skills," he said.

Elshenawy added that knowing both the Chinese language and technology is vital to collaborating with Chinese companies and researchers, with an added bonus of building stronger ties between Egypt and China, he said.

Bakhom Ramzy, 21, an AI and Data Science student from El Sewedy University of Technology, said he was struck by the remarkable technological development and how technology is seamlessly integrated into everyday life — from electric vehicles to highly automated services, as well as modern facilities.

Ramzy said he came to China because he believed the experience could be life-changing and expand his view on technological development. Having experienced daily life in China, he added that he hopes to apply similar approaches in Egypt and other markets in the future.

"Being familiar with both the technology and the culture behind it can help me build connections between Egypt and China and potentially contribute to future cooperation in technology and innovation," Ramzy said.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn