My name is Renz. I am from the Philippines, which is just a little more than two-hours away by plane from Guangzhou. My bachelor’s degree is in Chemical Engineering, and I am now pursuing an MPhil in Advanced Materials.

My current favorite books are those written by authors of Asian lineage. In particular, I’m digging works by Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro. Their novels allow me to see life in a different light.

In an alternate universe where I didn’t choose to be in the academe, I think I would be running a small café in the outskirts of a small city. I will bake the pastries fresh every day, blast jazz music, and listen to the stories of my customers. And of course, there will be cats in my café! 

What attracted you to HKUST(GZ)?

At first, I actually wanted to apply to the Clearwater Bay campus because I have a couple of friends from my undergrad university who went there for Ph.D. studies. However, upon browsing the HKUST website, I saw that the Guangzhou campus will be opening and that it will offer innovative and interdisciplinary programs. Moreover, the prospect of living in China – a country with rich cultural and historical heritage – excited me. In the end, I decided to submit my application to HKUST(GZ), and it’s a decision that I did not regret. 

What steps did you take to prepare before coming here? Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

Nothing special in particular. I just prepared the necessary travel documents and packed mostly light clothes (knowing that Guangzhou has a subtropical climate). If there is anything that I wish I could have done differently, perhaps it would be to practice my Mandarin more. I tried learning Mandarin through YouTube videos and apps but I did not put so much effort into it. Maybe having better Chinese language familiarity would have made my life in Guangzhou a lot smoother. 

How has your transition to HKUST(GZ) been? What were the easiest and most challenging aspects?

I did not find the transition to living on our university campus particularly jarring. In fact, I was surprised to experience that life in Guangzhou can be as convenient as in other major cities! I think the easiest aspect is the payment option. In the Philippines, I cannot go out of our house without bringing cash. But here, I can survive with just my phone because you can pay for everything – products, transportation, services – using electronic payment methods like WeChat Pay or Alipay. As for the most challenging aspect, it would be the language barrier, especially when you go out of campus.

Could you share your most memorable experience at HKUST(GZ) so far?

I have a lot of memorable experiences, and it would take too long to talk about all of them! I’ll probably just mention my first dinner with my research group. We went to a restaurant in Dongchong. I was surprised when the servers placed a bowl of stewed turtle on our table. I’ve never had turtle prior to this. Deep inside, I was like, why eat the poor turtle?! It’s funny because I eventually took a bite despite my apprehension. The taste was okay… turtle meat is a bit chewy and has a particularly fishy flavor. I still don’t recommend eating turtles because they are cute and adorable, but it was an experience worth remembering. 

What do you enjoy the most about HKUST(GZ)?

One of the best things about our university is that it has a very intimate campus life. Since the student population is not that big yet, classes are relatively small so there are plenty of chances to interact with your classmates and make friends. You can also meet your professors in the canteen, gym, or supermarket doing things like normal people. This tightly knit community in our campus makes me feel like I am not just here to study or do research; I am also here to experience life. 

Have you been able to make new friends here?

The students and staff on our campus are really nice, so making friends is easy! I have my labmates, who are there to share our collective frustration about our research. I also made friends with the staff who help me in my experiments, other students who share my interests (sports, cats, etc.), and classmates in the courses I took. 

If you could offer one piece of advice to a new international student, what would it be?

Be open to new experiences. Our university provides a lot of opportunities for the students to learn not just inside the classroom but also outside the gates of the campus. Learn to maximize these opportunities. Join competitions, try unfamiliar food, and travel around China! After all, when you are a 90-year-old with poor eyesight and wrinkled skin, you may not necessarily remember the lessons taught in the courses you took, but you will surely look back to the time you travelled to the Great Wall in Beijing or the Terracotta Army in Xi’an.