XI'AN, China – "After nearly a decade here, Xi'an feels like home," says Murshed Adham Fuad Saif, a Yemeni graduate student at Xi'an Shiyou University (XSYU) – Northwest China's only petroleum-focused higher education institution. His story is among those featured in Hong Kong Wen Wei Po's "Living in China" series spotlighting expatriates' experiences.
Fig.1: Adham in traditional Chinese attire with bamboo scrolls
The Green Energy Dreamer
Name: Murshed Adham Fuad Saif (Chinese name: 单子彧 Dān Zǐyù, meaning "cultured")
Age: 29
Program: Master's in New Energy Engineering
Years in China: 9
Adham arrived in 2014 on a Chinese Government Scholarship, drawn initially by martial arts legends. What he discovered was a nation of "hardworking masters" driving transformative development.
Fig.2: Adham inspecting photovoltaic projects
XSYU: Launchpad for Global Citizens
As a "Study in China" Demonstration Base designated by the Ministry of Education, XSYU has educated over 10,000 international students from 93 countries. The university leverages its petroleum engineering strengths while expanding into green energy – a shift that shaped Adham's academic path.
"China's advancements in renewable technology inspired me," says Adham, who has:
Won multiple innovation competitions (Figs. 3-4)
Mastered Mandarin and Chinese cultural traditions
Explored China from Harbin's winters to Xi'an's historical sites
Figs. 3 & 4: Adham at innovation competitions and award ceremonies
Belt & Road Catalyst
Adham credits China's openness under the Belt and Road Initiative for his career pivot: "Seeing opportunities here, I abandoned plans to teach in Yemen after mybachelor's. XSYU gave me the tools to contribute to global green development."
His future goals reflect deep roots in China:
Launch a clean-energy startup using Chinese tech
Buy a home in Xi'an
Bring his parents from Yemen
Fig.5: Adham skiing in China – "There's always something new to experience!"
Wandering around various locales, taking in the rapid pace of development of China
In Adham’s view, China not only boasts an astonishing pace of development, but also possesses the most complete and professional market economy in the world. The hospitable and open-hearted Chinese people have also provided a vast platform for international students to develop. Since his arrival in China ten years ago, Adham has never returned home once or reunited with his parents. In his opinion, however, these past ten years have been the most fulfilling and satisfying decade of his life so far.
“Not returning home is partly due to the instability in my homeland; on the other hand, and most importantly, I hope to travel extensively across China during my vacation and study breaks, to experience the rapid pace of development and gain more practical knowledge”. Adham informed the Hong Kong Commercial Daily that during his undergraduate studies, he had visited Yiwu City in Zhejiang Province in China, where he was amazed to discover that the majority of goods used in his country were sourced from China, the world’s largest market affecting the entire globe. It was also at this time that he conceived the idea of starting a business in China after graduation.
Embracing the New Energy market; To commence operations upon graduation.
This summer vacation, Adham was as busy as ever, juggling his thesis with his startup project. “The Middle East is an energy-rich region, which is why I chose to study at Xi’an Shiyou University.” In recent years, with China’s booming new-energy industry and increasing cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, Adham saw immense opportunities. “I have often seen Chinese new-energy projects thrive in the region on media platforms, and it feels like a vast blue ocean waiting to be explored,” he said. “Being from the Middle East and having studied at Xi’an Shiyou University, I am blessed with a natural double advantage.”
According to Adham, under the support of XSYU and related institutions, in 2019, he, along with several friends, began planning an initiative. “Specifically, it’s about photovoltaics and new energy batteries. Our plan is to import advanced new energy products from China to the Middle East, starting with my country Yemen, followed by Saudi Arabia, and then more ‘Belt and Road’ countries. We aim to assist them in transitioning to zero-carbon, green development,” Adham told reporters from the Hong Kong Commercial Daily, adding that the framework for this project has been constructed and received much praise and support.
In Chinese parlance, “now is the time when everything is in place, save for the eastern wind”. Upon graduation, Adham vowed to immediately embark on this endeavor. Regarding the project's prospects, he stated that with the “Belt and Road Initiative” as a backdrop, in this fertile ground of China, diligent effort would surely lead to success.
“Though I journey many miles from home, I am not alone.”
In Xi'an for nearly a decade, Adham says he has long since become an integral part of this ancient metropolis seamlessly blending modernity with tradition. In his heart, this place is “home”.
“With both the Chinese Government Scholarship and the school's scholarship, my academic and living expenses are covered. And every member of Xi’an Shiyou University is like family to me; they have showered me with many kindnesses and assistance in my studies and life, despite being thousands of miles away from home. Adham jests that his temperament has increasingly come to resemble the city itself. “My Chinese name is Shan Ziyu. In my free time, donning Han attire as I stroll near the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, I do not feel out of place, not even a little, amid all these locals”, he said with a chuckle.
In recent years, when Adham spoke on the phone with his family, he learned that an increasing number of Yemeni teenagers were keen on studying in China. According to the Statistical Bulletin on the Current Situation of Education in China for 2023 published by the Ministry of Education of China, a total of 516,000 international students from 214 countries and regions studied in Chinese universities in 2023. Among them, the scale of international students coming to Shaanxi surpassed 100,000 in 2023.
In the era of globalization, studying in China has become an increasingly popular choice among international students. In addition to his renewable energy project, Adham is also planning to offer international student exchange services after graduation. “My hope is that through my efforts, more students from different nations will choose to come to China for their studies”, he said. Adham aims to assist more international students in realizing their dreams and achieving success through his own experiences and knowledge.
Quick Q & A
What in China would most surprise you?
Adham: Virtually everything in our country is sourced from China.
What in China left the deepest impression?
Adham: China is the most stable and secure nation in the world, and for the people, this is the greatest happiness.
What one's most fervent desire would be after graduation?
Adham: Launching a startup venture, opening the company doors, then making money to purchase a house in Xi'an to welcome my parents.
Studying in China for three years
I’ve been familiar with Xi’an and fallen love with hiking and spicy food.
Name: Альвина Иванова Chinese
Name: Yiguan
Age: 23
Occupation: Junior in college
Duration in China: 3 years
Yiguan loves to climb mountains and has already made it to the top of
Mount Nanwutai, Mount Hua and over ten other great mountains.
Hong Kong Wen Wei Po Shaanxi Fax
Yiguan takes part in school activities. Hong Kong Wen Wei Po Shaanxi Fax
Speaking fluent Chinese and always with a sweet smile on her face, Yiguan leisurely strolls through the streets and alleys of Xi’an, deftly using her phone to swipe cards for rides and scan codes for shopping. “Only after coming to China did I realize the life here is what I’ve always dreamed of, and I love everything here,” said Yiguan, a junior at Xi’an Shiyou University from Murmansk, a city in the northwest of Russia. Although she has studied in Xi’an for just over three years, she has been a “Xi’an native” in the eyes of her teachers and classmates. ◆Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporter Li Yangbo reports from Xi’an
Yiguan’s hometown, the largest seaport city of Russia in the Arctic Ocean coast, is in the Arctic Circle. Though far away from China, Yiguan has been fascinated by China when she was a middle school student. “I have always had a passion for history and culture since I was a child. A deep interest in China arouse in my heart when I was in the middle school, so I started to study Chinese history and culture,” she said, adding that failing to understand Chinese at that time brought her a lot of puzzles. “Even though I sometimes read for a while without any understanding, China still struck me as a very interesting country, and I can’t wait to go to China to see what life there is like.”
Post-pandemic Return: Never Leave Again
As she grew older, Yiguan has a stronger interest in China. After graduating from high school, she didn’t hesitate to apply for studying in China, eventually coming to China in 2019 as she hoped. However, as the old Chinese saying goes, “Good things come in small packages”. When she went back to her country for the first winter vacation, Yiguan was unable to return due to an unexpected epidemic.
“At that time, I had just begun to learn Chinese. Even though failing to return to China, I insisted on learning Chinese online,” she said. Over the next two years, some classmates gave up and turned to study in the local universities in Russia, but she always firmly believed that she would return to China. “It was in the spring of 2021 that I finally came to China for the second time,” she said, adding that she had only one thought in her mind at that moment: she wanted to stay in China forever.
Quick Adaptation through Fondness
Teachers describe Yiguan as intelligent and adaptable. Unlike other international students, Yiguan faced greater challenges right from her first day at Xi'an Shiyou University. “I attended classes with Chinese classmates, where the lessons were taught in Chinese, even the exam papers,” she said. Nevertheless, she not only mastered Chinese proficiently in a short time but also kept pace with her Chinese peers in academic progress. Just like her academic life, Yiguan’s daily life in Xi’an is equally wonderful. “I always go shopping alone only with my cell phone,” she said. In her free time, she often packs her bag and leaves for a trip on a whim. Mountain climbing is her favorite. She added, “I have successfully reached the summits of over ten great mountains in Shannxi, including Mount Nanwutai and Mount Hua.” Besides climbing, what surprises her classmates is that Yiguan not only loves Chinese food but has also developed a crazy passion for spicy food. She said, “I think it’s because I like here that I’ve adapted so quickly, and I'm enjoying my life in Xi’an.” Yiguan also told the reporter from Hong Kong Wen Wei Po that sometimes when she goes back to her country on vacation, she feels a little bit uncomfortable, and some of life habits have faded away a little bit as well. She just has one thought: return to China. Yiguan laughed and said that, she is more accustomed to living in China than in Russia nowadays.
Hoping to continue further studies and turn dreams into reality
Yiguan has been busy interviewing for internships these days. Although most companies are reluctant to accept short-term internships lasting more than a month, she’s not discouraged at all. “The companies have been very welcoming and assist me with my internship.” With graduation season approaching, Yiguan is also ready.
“It is just the beginning. If I have the opportunity, I’d like to pursue further studies in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. I also hope to experience the lives in different cities.” Yiguan added that living in China has always been her dream, and she hopes to stay there forever. So she will keep fighting to make her dream a reality.
Quick Q & A
◆What surprised you most in China?
Yiguan: I can travel around China only with a cell phone.
◆What impressed you most in China?
Yiguan: Everything here is convenient.
◆What do you most want to do after graduation?
Yiguan: I want to go to Beijing and Shanghai. Anyway, I just want to stay in China.
