International students see benefits from Belt and Road Initiative

Akriti Nayal from India is among an increasing number of foreign students at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Foreign students, who come from countries ranging from Azerbaijan to the Republic of Burundi, are an exciting addition to the already vibrant college culture at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Akriti Nayal, 22, from the Indian capital New Delhi, studying for her master's degree in international business, is one of the many who believe in the saying that it takes two hands to clap.

"I heard about the Belt and Road Initiative when I was in India. And it interests me because there is a heavy focus on Asia. As the world's two most populous countries, India and China should get to know each other better," she says.

Nayal is one of the 50 Indian students who were chosen last year by the China Scholarship Council for full funding of their educational programs in the country.

She says that she has seen an increasing number of Indian students coming to China recently, especially to study medicine and physiotherapy.

"My parents are now in India doing tourism. My mom had studied in Fudan University (in Shanghai) and my brother had studied in UIBE. They both can speak Chinese fluently.

"I chose to study at UIBE because it is a great institution, and now without language barriers, I get to know better how Chinese business works. For me, connectivity between different countries help to broaden my horizons," she says.

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was launched in 2013, she has been aware of the increasing Chinese efforts to boost cultural ties.

The 8th International Culture Festival on the campus recently, drew the biggest crowd since it started in 2010.

Nayal was a member of the art and culture department of the university's International Students Union. She plans to find a marketing job in Beijing after completing her master's program.