As a fast-developing nation, a country with a rich history and a growing global impact, China is a very attractive place to study among students of all nationalities.

My personal experience of studying at Renmin and Tsinghua universities demonstrates how studying in China may change your worldview and improve cross-cultural relationships.

Academic rigor is not the only feature that makes education in China unique; how the education corresponds to real-world progress is also crucial.

The exposure you get to massive construction works, technology and policy trials is especially important to a student from a developing country such as Pakistan. Information is provided on the models of development, forms of governance and strategies on innovation, which can be modified and applied elsewhere.

The work ethic of Chinese students and the high regard for education in China is also impressive. The interest in innovation and the readiness to adopt new concepts also helps to create a vibrant academic environment in Chinese universities.

Learning in China does not only give one the opportunity to study at the best universities, it also gives a student an interactive experience where the past and the present coexist.

Whether in the back streets of Beijing or in the state-of-the-art labs of the most prestigious schools, students see a society that is both traditional and progressive in terms of technology. This enables students to experience the way in which China is able to balance cultural longevity and economic change. It also helps to break down preconceived ideas and allows you to think about China in a more subtle way, beyond the news headlines.

Chinese society is seen as an introverted one by some. Many students arrive with a set of assumptions based on propagandistic Western media discourses or with a simple lack of information. However, when one spends time here, you see a different side of the coin. Hospitality, respect for education, a high emphasis on collective identity are among the values that foreign students learn to value in Chinese society.

Working with peers aids in the breaking down of stereotypes and the building of long-term friendships that cannot be limited only to academic life.

Studying and living in China enables students to develop their own informed opinions. Students experience the diversity of China in the megacities and the remote small provincial towns. They are exposed to its systems of governance, social services and social standards. When they go back to their countries of origin or take up jobs internationally, they become informal cross-cultural ambassadors.

In this context, Chinese education can be described as people-to-people diplomacy. It seals the gaps on a personal as opposed to an official level.

As a Pakistani student, it is important to me that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has brought the two nations closer, both culturally and economically.

My study time in China gave me an even better insight into this partnership. It enabled me to observe the way that education exchange could supplement financial collaboration. Knowing the path of China's development and its institutional structures, students from countries like Pakistan will be better able to contribute to the development of joint projects and policy discussions.

This viewpoint can be applied particularly well in the modern global reality, where the voice of developing countries is becoming more and more significant.

The Chinese education system provides students of the Global South with the ability to tackle global problems in a more informed and balanced way. With the increasing presence of China on the world stage, international education will become even more important.

Universities are not merely educational institutions, they also serve as venues of discussion, invention and cultural interaction. Studying in China provides a chance to get beyond simplistic narratives and explore a dynamic society.

International students are welcome to share ideas and work with others from around the world in what is an open society. The experience of studying in China is not just about academic work it is a step to a new worldview and the building of relationships.

It also provides international students a new perspective for looking at their own countries. In a world where there are many misconceptions, these learning experiences bridge cultures, ideas and bring individuals together.

Studying in China is not only useful to individuals but also crucial to creating a more collaborative and globalized world.

The writer is director of the China Desk at Lord Media Network in Pakistan. He can be contacted at zamirasadi@gmail.com.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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