New York trip opens doors for Chinese students

Choosing to study at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has opened a doorway into understanding the world in a way Ziyang Chen never expected.



The 21-year-old Business Management and Finance student from Beijing was worried she would be lonely when she crossed the world to study in Britain.

Instead she has a found a depth and warmth of friendship that has truly endeared her to the city of Leicester.

She also discovered her university’s #DMUglobal scheme which took her on a trip to New York in America.

“Before I came to the UK I thought I would be lonely but it’s not what I expected,” said Ziyang, who started her studies at DMU in October last year.

“I find the people here in Leicester are so kind and generous and willing to help. I love DMU and this city.

“I chose to study at DMU because it has a good reputation for good teaching quality, a fantastic international student service and a beautiful university environment.”

She was one of 1,000 students and staff who went on the #DMUglobal trip to New York in the first week of January, enjoying a whole string of visits and experiences to enhance their academic studies.



“I went on the trip to New York to open my mind, to get a chance to communicate with people from different cultures and to explore New York,” Ziyang added.|

“The varied itinerary provided me with the chance to explore typical US culture, and there were also plenty of academic activities which could not be missed.

“The trip has helped my studies because it widened my knowledge, opened my mind and enriched my experience. For example, I visited the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and I learned a lot which I could not learn from the textbook.

“One of the most meaningful aspects of #DMUglobal for me was making new friends from different cultures. We talked about a lot of things which gave me a chance to understand the world better.

“One new friend that I made on the trip comes from India and I now have a new understanding about India.

“There is no doubt that the New York trip was so amazing, and there are so many other chances waiting to be explored thanks to DMU.”

Ziyang’s trip to New York included visits to Times Square, Central Park, Wall Street, the 9/11 Museum, the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Electronic Engineering student Gaixin Hong, from Nanjing, started at DMU in September and also went on the #DMUglobal trip.

The chance to sample the razzamatazz of an NBA basketball game and watch superstar player LeBron James tempted him to sign up for the visit.

“It was the game, absolutely, that I enjoyed most,” said the 23-year-old. “I am a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers and I went to watch a game they played at the Barclays Center. It was very exciting.”

The Cavaliers didn’t fail to deliver for Gaixin, James scoring 36 points and six assists as the reigning champions threw off a home loss in their previous outing to hold out for a 116-108 victory at the Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center.

Accounting and Business Management student Jingru Jiang also loved the New York trip.

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The 22-year-old, from Anhui province, said: “I chose to study at DMU because it fascinated me with its strong faculty, well-designed curriculum and I thought it would be absolutely wonderful to study the subjects I feel so passionate about.

“I went on the New York trip because I wanted to extend my horizon, to increase my knowledge about the world, and enhance my understanding of different cultural backgrounds.

“We went to different places to experience the scenery of New York and American culture, and to get to know new friends.

“This voluntary activity offered me a wonderful platform to increase my social cognition, broaden my horizon and enrich my experience. It really enriched my life and was important to my career development in the future.

“The journey made a favourable impression on us. All my Chinese friends think it was a wonderful trip and if we get the chance, we are interested in other overseas #DMUglobal visits in the future.”