It is graduation season once again. This summer, international students across Shanghai are closing one chapter and opening another—some will remain in the city, others will head to distant places. Over the past few years, they have grown in ways they never expected, navigating new cultures, new languages, and new ways of seeing the world. We visited five universities—Fudan, East China Normal, Shanghai International Studies, Shanghai Finance and Economics, and Shanghai University—to capture their farewell messages. Their time here has shaped them. And in turn, they have become part of a story much larger than themselves—a story of connection, understanding, and shared humanity.

Fudan University: Same Roots, Different Roads

At Fudan, no two graduation stories are alike—yet they all began in the same place.

Audrey Jennifer Stucke from Germany balanced the rigors of computer science with the intensity of the basketball court and the energy of the band stage. Technology, she came to believe, matters for the difference it makes in people’s lives. Fudan, she says, gave her the freedom to pursue a dream built on love and passion.

Tsatsral Chuluunbaatar from Mongolia graduates from the School of Management. Looking back, she remembers it all—the nerves and challenges of adjusting to a new country, the late nights spent on papers and group projects, the lessons learned through internships and campus life. Every part of it shaped her. “Fudan taught me far more than knowledge,” she says. “It taught me to face the unknown with courage, to think with clarity, and to take responsibility for the choices I make. I will carry those lessons with me for life.”

Preechaya Oonchitti arrived in Shanghai from Bangkok alone four years ago. She was not confident at first—she could not see her own strengths or find her own value. But Fudan's spirit of "Nothing But Yourself" gave her the courage to try new things. She revived the university's Thai student association, served as a director of the cross-cultural exchange group, and through each experience, began to see herself more clearly. "If I could go back and choose again," she says, "I would still come to Fudan. Without a second thought."

June Ung Yuen May from Malaysia spent six years in Fudan's clinical medicine program. As an international student far from home, she says Fudan gave her more than knowledge—it gave her a sense of belonging. "We were far from our families, but we never felt alone," she says. To her classmates, she offers a simple farewell: "May we walk through the storms and meet again at the top."

Ivy Zhuo from the United States says her four years at Fudan were filled with moments of doubt—late nights spent rewriting papers, tears of joy on stage, and the kind of late-night conversations with roommates that you remember for a lifetime. "I cried, I laughed, I gave it everything, and I learned to let go," she says. "Looking back, I can say I did right by these four years—and by the person who stumbled but never gave up."

Anna Iliasova from Russia never imagined, as an 18-year-old studying Chinese day after day, that she would one day earn a master's degree in international public policy from one of the world's top universities. At Fudan, she found herself doing things she had never dreamed of—running her first half-marathon, studying abroad in Rome, and presenting at an international academic conference. "The person you used to be," she says, "would be so proud of the person you've become. Don't ever forget that."

Mawuto Koudjo Felix Doumegna from Togo came to Fudan through a dual master's program with the University of Turku in Finland. When he first started, he often felt lost facing complex research questions. By the time he graduated, he had gone from feeling lost to conducting independent research on robotics and intelligent systems. "Fudan gave me more than a degree," he says. "It gave me a mindset—to keep learning, keep questioning, keep exploring."

Pedro Steenhagen from Brazil first came to Fudan in 2018 for a summer program. At the time, he was in the final year of his master's degree back home. The experience left such a strong impression that he decided then and there—he would return for a Ph.D. In 2021, he did. During his doctoral studies, he even joined Fudan's dragon boat team and won a bronze medal. "Fudan is not just a chapter of my life," he says. "It will always be a second home to me."

 

East China Normal University: Rooted Here, Ready to Go

Mahoney Lile Song from the United States stepped up to the podium at ECNU's 2026 commencement and delivered a speech in fluent Chinese that moved many in the audience.

She grew up around this university—she attended the primary and secondary schools affiliated with ECNU. The school motto, "Seek Truth, Foster Originality, and Live up to the Name of a Teacher," had been part of her life before she could even read the characters. As a child of mixed Chinese and American heritage, she never worried about being different. "In ECNU's inclusive environment, I rarely felt lost," she says.

Over four years of undergraduate study, she collaborated with Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, and appeared on cultural programs for CCTV and local television. Through these opportunities, she learned to tell real, multi-dimensional stories about China from an international perspective. She also came to appreciate what made ECNU special. "At the annual International Cultural Festival," she recalls, "students dance to music from their homelands, prepare traditional dishes, and carry their national flags with pride. That kind of space doesn't just happen—it takes open minds, mutual respect, and a commitment to equality."

Her farewell to her fellow graduates was both warm and heartfelt: "Wherever life takes us, we will always belong to this university. It is our duty to bridge cultures and make the world a better place. May we carry the courage, kindness, and strength we have found here—and meet the world as it is, without losing who we are."

 

Shanghai International Studies University: Learning Chinese, Telling China’s Story

For Artem Petrosian from Russia, coming to China to study was not a simple decision. Before enrolling at SISU, he already held degrees in management and English translation, as well as a master's in international project management. Yet he chose to start over—as an undergraduate in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. "There is a saying in my culture: for every language you speak, you become a new person," he explains. "For me, learning a language is not just about communication—it's about changing how you see the world."

What drew him to Chinese was not just curiosity, but connection. He had made Chinese friends during his studies in Russia, and found that their ways of thinking and values aligned naturally with his own. Encouraged by his teachers at the Confucius Institute, he applied to SISU—drawn by its reputation as one of China's top language universities, and by Shanghai itself, a city he saw as vibrant, modern, and steeped in history.

What surprised him most about SISU was the relationship between students and faculty. "My teachers didn't just teach—they cared," he says. His thesis advisor, Professor Zhou Xinling, supported him through every stage of his research, and his graduation thesis was later recognized as an outstanding paper. He credits the university's academic rigor and its rich cultural activities—tea ceremonies, city walks, and more—for giving him not just language skills, but a deep understanding of the culture behind the words.

The course that changed everything for him was "China: A General Survey," taught by Professor Lu Qinling in his third year. "Before that, I had all these fragments of knowledge about China. That course put them together like a puzzle—into a complete picture," he says. It was then that his vague ambition to become a sinologist became a clear goal. He is now heading to East China Normal University for his Ph.D., researching the overseas expansion of Chinese companies—a subject he believes can only be properly understood through Chinese-language sources and firsthand experience in China.

Beyond academics, Li Long was named a "Shanghai City Ambassador" in 2025. He shares his daily life in Shanghai on social media—in Chinese, English, and Russian—showing friends around the world a city that is not just modern but deeply humane. "International communication is not something that only belongs to the media," he says. "Every one of us is a living window."

One of the most touching stories from his time in Shanghai unfolded around a ping-pong table. He met an elderly local man who taught him to play, shared life advice, and jokingly called him "adopted son." They traveled together, celebrated the Spring Festival with each other's families, and built a friendship that crossed generations and nationalities. "A little ping-pong ball connected us—and showed me that warmth between people knows no borders," he says.

At his graduation ceremony, Li Long was named an "Alumni Ambassador." Reflecting on his journey, he says, "In the green pond of SISU, I am happy to be a little turtle that has found its home." With the 2026-2027 China-Russia Year of Education just beginning, his story is one of many—young people from both countries, building bridges through learning and trust.

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: Never Stop Trying

For Russian student Bailun, life has been a series of unexpected turns.

As a teenager, he considered the usual study-abroad destinations—Europe, America. But he chose a different path. "I wanted something different," he says. "So I went to China." He came to China for high school and stayed. Today, he has completed his master's degree, built a family in Shanghai, and runs his own trading business.

None of it came easily. When the pandemic hit in 2019, his plan to study at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics was disrupted. He took online classes from Russia while working in a restaurant kitchen—long hours, cramped space, the heat and smoke of the stove, and a time zone that never aligned. At the same time, his family needed him more than ever. It forced him to rethink everything.

He had once dreamed of becoming a chef. That dream gave way to something more practical—he followed his parents into business. But he doesn't see it as a betrayal. "I look at the life I chose instead," he says, "and I don't envy anyone."

Has he ever felt lost? "Every day," he admits. "I face new challenges all the time. My current trade involves areas I know nothing about. I just have to keep learning." His advice: "Don't get stuck on whether something is right or wrong. Just do it. That's how you find your way."

Does he have regrets? "I don't think about decisions I didn't make," he says with a smile. If he hadn't walked into that restaurant across the street on a rainy day, he might never have met the coffee shop waitress who is now his wife. If he hadn't gone through that experience, he might never have studied business—and today's conversation might never have happened.

"Never stop trying"—that's his motto, every single day. "Stop waiting," he says. "Find your current and swim with it. It's a process of trying, breaking, learning, and failing."

When he talks about home, his voice softens. Outside his window, Shanghai buzzes with energy. He still misses the forests of Russia, lying on the grass, listening to the wind. But he doesn't look back. "The boy I was left home a long time ago," he says. "And he's still moving forward."

Shanghai University: A Lens on Two Worlds

Monica Gabriela De Paul Sales from El Salvador crossed half the globe to study digital media art at Shanghai University's Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts.

When she first arrived, loneliness was the hardest part. "There aren't many Salvadoran students at Shanghai University, or even in this city," she says. But her teachers and classmates offered warmth and support, helping her through the difficult transition. Now, she has friends from China and beyond—and she counts that as one of her greatest gains over the past four years.

Studying digital media art in a second language was a double journey—first to learn Chinese, then to learn through it. "Language used to feel like pressure," she says. "But it became a bridge." Her graduation project, Her Thread, explores women's experiences through embroidery. She collected real voices through surveys and turned them into sounds and symbols in an installation. The work received top marks and was featured at WDCC 2025 and the 13th Shanghai Art Exhibition.

Over the years, she was a member of the "Haiyi" (Hey) International Student Chorus, and a frequent contributor to Shanghai Daily and Wenhui Daily. Her videos—including a Lunar New Year piece filmed at the Yuyuan Lantern Festival—drew wide attention. Many of her friends back in El Salvador and elsewhere decided to visit or study in China after seeing her work. "Shanghai taught me that difference is not a barrier," she says. "It's where creativity comes from."

To those who will follow in her footsteps, she offers this: "Homesickness is not weakness—it's love for where you came from. And chasing your dreams is not arrogance—it's a promise to yourself. You will feel lonely. You will doubt yourself. You will want to give up. But remember: home lives in your heart, the future is in your hands, and success is closer than you think. Even if you move slowly, keep going. One day, you will find your light."

Fudan. ECNU. SISU. SUFE. Shanghai University. Five campuses, dozens of graduates, one shared experience. Each came with their own story, and each leaves with something different—knowledge, friendship, a sense of belonging, a new way of seeing the world. But what unites them is this: in Shanghai, they found not just an education, but a place that shaped who they are.

Graduation is a moment to look back and a moment to step forward. Some will stay in this city they now call home. Others will move on to new places. Either way, the years they spent here will stay with them. "The world is not that big," one of them said. "I'll see you around the corner."

To the international graduates of Shanghai, Class of 2026—wherever you go, go well. And come back when you can.

Sources: Fudan University, East China Normal University, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and Shanghai University.