Saadat Ruslanova: "My exchange semester helped me open up a new world"

March 2, 2016

Saadat Ruslanova, a junior student in the International and Comparative Politics (ICP) department at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), is our first student to study at the AUCA’s new partner university, the University of Hong Kong.

“I have the opportunity to be here thanks to my home university, AUCA. Being a junior in the International and Comparative Politics department, I decided to apply for the exchange program in Hong Kong. I wanted to broaden my horizons and open up a new world beyond the borders of Kyrgyzstan. Hong Kong seemed to be a good option that captured my interests. Moreover, the particular history of development in this special administrative region of China played a role in my decision.

The first time I applied for an exchange program was with Bard College my sophomore year, but I did not make it through the selection process. Fortunately, I saw an announcement about a new opportunity for an exchange program in Hong Kong in the spring. As soon as I had heard about it, I decided that it would be the only program I would apply for. The selection process was quite demanding, but still doable. My inspiration motivated me to do it, and in the end, I got this opportunity.

My first day will be in my mind for a long time. Despite the small territory occupied by Hong Kong, it is very crowded place—about 7 million people. I was given helpful guidelines by HKU before I arrived; they were very useful and helpful. Every possible route you could take to get to the university street were written in those guidelines, by bus, taxi, or subway. So, if you get lost, you could always find the exit. In addition, you could see everywhere on the roads different directional signs that helped you orient yourself in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the people in Hong Kong are pretty open-minded and almost all young people (even some older people) speak English. You always could always ask someone for help.

Concerning the people, differences do exist between Chinese and Kyrgyz people. But, first, it should be mentioned that there are also differences between Chinese people and “hongkongers.” Even the languages are different. Chinese people (people from the Mainland) speak Mandarin, people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese. Even though there is one China, many different minorities are live with each other. Probably, the differences in Hong Kong are due to former British occupation. The mixture of different cultures played a role. I am not familiar with the British, but I suppose they are very peaceful, intelligent and educated people. I have the same in “hongkongers”. Of course, there are obviously many dissimilarities between Chinese in Hong Kong and Kyrgyz people, the roots of those nations crucially differ. But it is easy to see the people here are very polite, calm, smart, and practical, and, in general, everybody is responsible for their actions and doing their own business. Also, “hongkongers” have come to the point where they live for themselves—content, peaceful and free: even in the morning at the university, you could find many elderly people doing physical exercise. All day you can people running on the road. In the evening, families come out to seaside to enjoy the view.

The exchange semester abroad is a wonderful opportunity to grow as a person. Firstly, it shows you another world with which you were not familiar before. Different people, cultures, traditions, and languages shows you the versatility of life. Conversations with people from different parts of the world make sure of that. Secondly, it is significant to your own work. You start to consider things from different perspectives. Every place has own particularities in a way—particularly in ways of thinking.

Comparing HKU with AUCA, I would say the systems of education are the same. Both are similar to the American system. They have analogous classes, tasks, assignments and exams. Thanks to my home university the only one in Kyrgyzstan adhering to international standards of education, I feel comfortable and confident studying at HKU. But, studies here are more demanding than at AUCA. For sure, you should spend heaps of time to be prepared for the classes.

Of course, there is always free time left and not spending it productively would be a shame. Hong Kong is full of remarkable places: beautiful beaches, mountain trails for hiking, an array of diverse food, botanical gardens and parks, and not without entertainment. Moreover, Hong Kong has cultural places like museums, exhibitions, and galleries. I think one semester is even not enough to discover all the interesting places and things to do in Hong Kong. The desire to travel is unavoidable, as I am sure it is for all exchange students. Hong Kong is very conveniently located; from here you could visit other parts of China like Macao, or Taiwan, or even south-eastern states like Vietnam and Thailand.

The exchange program gives you truly life-long experiences. It helps young people become independent and more adult. Being alone in an unfamiliar place with the same people, you realize you are the only person responsible for yourself. Moreover, you start to understand different facets and patterns in life. Direct interaction with different people, cultures, nations teaches you to be tolerant of others. Also, it significantly enriches your knowledge and allows you to look at life from a different angle. My exchange semester has really helped me open up a new world outside and realize that there is not enough time to discover everything. I’m hurrying to see it all now, and I advise the same for others.”

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