Allan Muganga is a Ugandan PhD candidate at Beijing Normal University, majoring in Comparative and International Education. His research interests include international student mobility, the acculturation experiences of international graduate students & career self-efficacy.
Before considering moving to China, I was living in my own country like any other netizen, struggling to make ends meet. Graduated in 2015; however, as we all know, just like any other part of the world (developed or developing), Uganda is not immune to the world’s high unemployment rates. It took me a whole year on the streets of the capital, searching for work. Fortunately, I found one at the end of 2015, whereby I was working with one of the country’s top private transport companies at a time and progressed through the ranks till 2019. These four years of professional experience were instrumental in shaping my overview of life.
The funny thing was that I could have avoided these previous experiences since I received an opportunity to study in China as soon as I graduated, but I declined the offer. Just a week after graduation, I received an offer to study in China, but I was hesitant to accept it since I had never considered China as a study destination for me before. If I had thought of further in gym education, then the West and a few European countries were the first options in my mind. I should admit that I was naïve enough to overlook that chance. Nonetheless, in 2019, after having worked for four years, I felt that to be more competent in this rapidly changing world/job market, one needed to tighten their belts (particularly by obtaining another degree), which, of course, comes with a full package of skillsets that would enable them to fit favorably in the job market. At this time, I thought about China since I believe China reached its peak in 2019 in terms of economic growth, infrastructural development, and GDP (with trends continuing on an exponentially upward trajectory). I applied for a Chinese government scholarship (CSC) and was fortunate to get it. That’s how I ended up pacing all my baggage and looking for the closest airline to China.
I had been on this path for five years. It was such an incredible journey. Oftentimes, life in China differs from the way it is represented elsewhere. Not until one visits the country will one discover the reality hidden therein. I spent the first three years pursuing my master’s degree in Chongqing (an outstanding province), where I met many significant people. Aside from my fellow foreign friends that I met, the Chinese people were extremely polite and welcoming. Without a doubt, the language is difficult to grasp, and the cultures are different, but as long as one is willing to accept and calmly understand these cultural variations, the rest of life will flow smoothly.
Now that I’ve been to two universities, I would want to think that university life generally varies from institution to institution (particularly in student social welfare). As for the academic aspect, the learning environments in my observation are quite conducive, with properly stocked libraries for those who love spending a good deal of time in those academic spaces. As scholars, one thing that keeps us right on the path is an environment with fast/high internet connectivity. With all honesty, credit should be given where due; China has resolved this issue. At the very least, I have not encountered any problems. I’ve been studying at another institution in Beijing for my PhD, which has all been made possible by the Chinese government’s financing. Without this scholarship, I would surely have financial difficulties through out my studies, especially in a foreign land. As a result, I would never take this for granted. Many thanks to China’s government.
Having previously worked in the private sector; I now envision myself working for the government. Moving overseas for so many years, I have gained valuable expertise that I believe would be fundamental to my country (particularly in my field of interest: Education). I would, therefore, want to spend the coming years working with the Ministry of Education or any other parastatal in those lines. But life can sometimes be very tricky, and I shouldn’t be rigid about the future. If I happen to get an opportunity to work within China or somewhere else, I will look at and weigh the odds. Certainty is a rare privilege, and while it provides comfort and direction, I think it’s also equally important to remain adaptable and open to new possibilities.
For other international students, I will tell them: Don’t make the mistake I did and lose out on opportunities. Please take advantage of any chance that comes your way. If you’re considering expanding your education amongst the many other options, make sure to place China at the forefront. Knowing the host culture’s language is critical for easy integration. Learn some Chinese; your life in this country will be as smooth as a gently running river. Wishing you all the very best of luck on your journey, friends.
Established in 2009, the Faculty of Education was grounded on the exceptional success of the specialty of education at BNU, which was the first in China to award master’s and doctoral degrees in education, found post-doctoral scientific research mobile stations, and was authorized to award doctoral degrees in education as a first-level discipline. The missions of FOE are to improve the quality of nationwide educational innovation, to educate and prepare professional teachers and future educators, to house the think tank in education, to offer opportunities for international educational exchange and to facilitate the building of the educational and cultural industry of China.
