Canying Ren, a Chinese student, has been living in Belgrade for several years. She initially came to Serbia for her studies and soon fell in love with the country, its people, culture, and way of life. What started as an academic journey turned into a deep connection with a new environment that has become her second home.
Ren arrived in Serbia as a student seeking further education, intending to stay only for a few years. When she was choosing a country for her academic adventure, Serbia stood out as the best option.
“In 2015, I was in my final year of university. In China, there are scholarship programs with Eastern European countries, and the universities in Serbia have the highest level of cooperation. I looked at the list of countries and found Serbia the most appealing. I read information about each country, and since Belgrade was the center of the former Yugoslavia, I wanted to see what that Yugoslavia was like,” Ren began her story.
She is now pursuing a PhD at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, having previously completed a master’s degree at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the same university. Ren explains that the decision to move far from home wasn’t easy for her parents. They were puzzled by her choice and questioned why she wanted to go so far, but they have since grown more accepting and now visit her regularly.
“Everyone asked me: Where is Serbia? They weren’t exactly thrilled. My parents asked, ‘Why are you going so far away?’ They told me at the time, ‘If you want to study abroad, go to America.’ I had already been to America during my undergraduate studies through a student exchange program,” Ren said.
She also shared what she likes most about Serbia. Like many foreigners, she is delighted by the relaxed pace of life here.
“In China, people don’t have the habit of sitting in café gardens and drinking coffee. But Serbs are very hardworking; when they need to work, they work overtime—I know that,” she noted.
Ren also highlighted Serbian hospitality, something that reminds her of home, as this virtue, she says, is characteristic of both nations. While there are many similarities between Serbs and Chinese, she believes hospitality is the foremost among them.
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Ren eagerly awaits the defense of her doctoral dissertation, which represents an important milestone in both her professional and personal life.
“I hope to defend my dissertation this academic year, and when I do, only then will I say that I have succeeded,” she said modestly, her accent barely revealing that Serbian is not her native language.
Once she completes her studies, Ren will have two options—stay in Serbia, which she has come to love as her home, or return to China and pursue a career at a university, fulfilling her obligation to the state that supported her education with a scholarship.
“I have several options. I would love to work in Serbia, but China also offers many opportunities,” Ren said, leaving the door open for future challenges.
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Source: Mondo, Photo: Krug.rs