Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition
A scene in Cairo University campus in Egypt. Photo provided by the interviewee
Mi Yucheng (third from right) and Egyptian teachers and students took a photo. Photo provided by the interviewee
Ma Xin took a photo while studying in Egypt. Photo provided by the interviewee
Pyramid, Sphinx, Mummy ... As one of the four ancient civilizations in the world, Egypt spans Asia and Africa, with a profound historical and cultural heritage and magnificent natural scenery. In the field of higher education, Egypt's more famous public institutions include Cairo University , Ainshamus University, Suez Canal University , etc. In recent years, Chinese students have successively gone to Egypt to study. Recently, our reporter interviewed several Chinese students to listen to their study abroad experience in Egypt.
Getting up to know Arab culture
"For me, studying in Egypt is a lucky thing." Ma Xin is a doctoral student studying at Suez Canal University. His relationship with Egypt originated from an exchange program when he was a bachelor's degree. "When I was a senior in China, the school selected students to study abroad for public expenses. I was fortunate to be one of them and came to Suez Canal University. After the one-year exchange period ended, I decided to continue to stay in Egypt to study for postgraduate studies."
Ma Xin's study in Egypt had the following considerations. He said: "My major is Arabic . Here you can learn more about Arabic knowledge and understand Arabic culture. In addition, the tuition and living expenses in Egypt are not high compared to other popular studying countries. I think the burden of studying abroad is lighter and the cost-effectiveness is good."
Tang Zhijun, who studied at Ainshamus University, is a world history fan. When choosing a place to study abroad, he was attracted by Egypt. "I like to study world history and geography. Egypt has a long history and culture, and has left a colorful page in the history of human civilization. There are many ancient monuments like stars, and the mysterious veil is waiting for the visitors to unveil. Furthermore, Arabic is the official language of Egypt and one of the working languages of the United Nations. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, exchanges and cooperation between my country and Egypt have gradually deepened. Therefore, learning Arabic and studying in Egypt have development prospects." Tang Zhijun said.
Receives enthusiastic help from teachers and students
Tang Zhijun said that he came to Egypt and went through a process of adaptation. "Before I went abroad, I didn't learn Arabic systematically. When I came here to teach with international students, I found that many of my classmates already had a language foundation, which puts a lot of pressure on me. Fortunately, my classmates are very friendly. When I communicate with them in Arabic, if my pronunciation and grammar are wrong, everyone will patiently point it out to me to help me adapt to the new environment."
"The teacher and classmates care about me very much." Ma Xin has the same feeling. He said: "I am the only Chinese in the graduate school, and other students are from Egypt. Usually, students will take the initiative to care if I have any things I didn't understand in class. What impressed me most was that there was an Arabic literature poetry class. In order to help me understand the content of the class, the professor encouraged other students to try not to speak dialects when asked questions in class, which made me very grateful. In addition, when I read poetry aloud in class, the professor often praised me for my good pronunciation, which gave me a lot of thanks. I have strong confidence and full of motivation to learn."
Mi Yucheng is a student majoring in sociology at Cairo University. He said: "There are social survey courses every semester and need to be completed in teams. I and the team members have visited local hospitals, schools, news agencies, government departments and other institutions in Egypt. This not only helped me integrate into the collective, but also deepened my understanding of Egyptian society."
Mi Yucheng said that he had also received enthusiastic help from his classmates in life. "Once I took the subway with my computer bag . Due to the huge crowd, the strap of my bag was broken when I got off the bus, and the computer fell into the subway. I was at a loss at that time. After learning about it, my classmates immediately took me to the subway management center to report the loss and accompanied me to recover the items successfully. I was very moved."
Let the world understand the three-dimensional China
Ma Xin said that his school often holds cultural exchange activities, and students from all over the world gather in the school auditorium to show their own style."Among them, the food sharing activity is very popular among students. Students from all over the world make their own special food at home and bring them to the school to share. The Chinese food stall where I am provides everyone with dumplings, cold dishes, ice noodles, and other foods. The taste is authentic and the ingredients are real, and it is deeply loved by students from other countries. Once, our food stall was noticed by the principal, and he admired Chinese food culture very much."
Tang Zhijun made friends who appreciated each other in Egypt. "A famous Japanese classmate in my class. At first, I regarded him as a competitor in my studies and wanted to compete. Later, when I was preparing for the exam, due to the difficulty of the course, my classmates and I felt that we couldn't start when reviewing. This classmate took the initiative to explain and share his review methods to us. After the exam, we had a dinner party to eat the famous Egyptian street food "Kushory tomato pasta". We learned further during the meal. He and I studied in a foreign country, and we had many common topics, and became familiar with each other. Since then, we often helped each other and made progress together." Tang Zhijun said.
Ma Xin is also a Chinese teacher at Confucius Institute in in Egypt. He said: "My students cover a wide range of students, from freshman to doctoral students. In addition to Chinese reading and writing teaching, I also introduce Chinese traditional culture and eating habits to Egyptian students. Everyone is very interested in this and often ask questions in class and has a high enthusiasm for learning."
"Abroad, I personally understand that Chinese students are the link between China and abroad." Mi Yucheng said, "I am the only Chinese student in the department. Student, on weekdays, people often ask me about China. Once, a local student was curious about China's shared bicycle travel methods, and I discussed it with him. The development achievements of the motherland make me proud. I hope that when I study in Egypt, I can also contribute a little to let the world understand the real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China. "
Extended reading:
According to the person in charge of China Education International Education Study Abroad, the application of Egyptian public institutions is different from other countries to study abroad, and students' applications must be reviewed and approved by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education.
Egyptian universities adopt a lenient entry and strict exit model, and do not require IELTS , TOEFL and other English test scores when applying. Egyptian public institutions have a complete range of disciplines, with some outstanding disciplines, such as Medical Nephrology and Archaeology at Cairo University in Egypt, and Petroleum Engineering and Marine Engineering at Alexander University . (Reporter Zhou Shuyun of this newspaper)
"People's Daily Overseas Edition" (November 3, 2022, Page 08)
