Classrooms linking worlds

In contrast to Etienne's scholarly approach, 22-year-old Indonesian Chinese student Jansen Kosasih is more of a curious explorer. Fluent in Indonesian, English, Mandarin, and Hokkien, he is highly sensitive to cultural diversity. Since enrolling at Tsinghua University in 2021, he has traveled extensively across China, visiting Shanghai, Shanxi, Zhejiang, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia to experience the country's regional and ethnic cultures firsthand.

"China is just one country, but when I come here, it feels like I've experienced hundreds of countries," he said. "China is too huge, too broad. Every time I go to a new city, it feels like I enter a new universe, a new world."

"Everywhere you go, there's something to learn, something that leaves a deep memory inside of me," he added.

Kosasih describes China as "a land of opportunity", where he immerses himself in social and technological advancements. He is particularly impressed by everyday conveniences such as shared bikes and shared power banks. The completion of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway also allowed him to witness how Chinese technology has influenced development in his hometown.

As a student assistant in Tsinghua's admissions office, Kosasih regularly returns to Indonesia to introduce the university and Chinese culture to local secondary school students. Looking ahead, he hopes to work in Indonesia's education sector and promote student exchanges with China.

"I want to be a bridge between China and Indonesia — or even Southeast Asia," he said.

"Coming to China is not only about getting to know China," he added. "It's about opening a window to a whole new world and a whole new experience. I'm sure that once people come here, it will not be their last time visiting China."

Zhong Yutong contributed to this story.