XJTLU helped show me the world: My summers well spent

• By: Zhenhao (Bill) Wang, Year Four student in the BA Digital and Intelligent Marketing programme at International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), XJTLU
• Experience: Studying abroad in Canada and Singapore, XJTLU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship project
• Nationality: Chinese

What is something interesting about yourself?

I like to describe myself as a professional “troublemaker”. Not the bad kind, but the kind who can’t sit still. I dream of travelling the world, eating everything I can along the way. My MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) is ENFJ, and my zodiac sign is Taurus.

Zhenhao (front) with friends in Canada

You’ve studied abroad in Singapore and Canada. What motivated you to take part in these international opportunities?

I’ve dreamed of travelling the world since I was young. However, because of the heavy workload in China’s basic education system, I never had the chance to go abroad before coming to XJTLU. That’s why I was thrilled when I received the Study Abroad email about the summer school at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore in Year One.

Summer school in Singapore was the perfect first step, since Singapore is close to China in both geography and culture and offers affordable tuition. So, in July and August 2023, I studied at NTU, one of the top universities in Asia and my long-time dream school.

NTU in Singapore

After such a great experience in Singapore, I wanted to take it further. I thought an exchange programme in Canada for the first semester in 2024 would be ideal, since the location would be new, the time abroad longer, and the cultural experience more immersive and completely different. It felt like another big step toward my dream of seeing the world.

What were the highlights of your summer school at Nanyang Technological University and your exchange at the University of Calgary?

Friends have always been the highlight of my study-abroad experiences. Whether in Singapore or Calgary, meeting people from around the world, exchanging cultures, and breaking stereotypes left me with the most valuable memories. Increasingly, I feel like a true global citizen.

Academically, both places were demanding, with a faster pace and more obvious language barriers than in daily life. But the challenges pressured me to learn how to learn. Singapore was full of “firsts” for me; everything felt fresh and exciting, and I was full of curiosity. Calgary, on the other hand, was far from the charming picture I had imagined; it was freezing, lonely at times, and pushed me to explore myself more deeply, to think independently, and to grow.

Zhenhao's travels in Canada

You’ve recently been working on your Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project – what have you learned from applying your studies to real-world research?

I’ve realised how different it feels to move from classroom concepts to real-world research. My project is called “the shape of luck”. It focuses on how customers’ perceptions of certain shapes as lucky (a concept in feng shui) can influence their preferences for products that are circular or square.

What I’ve learned is that marketing is not only about the theories or models we study in class, but also about designing experiments, collecting data, and interpreting human behaviour in a real context. It showed me that classroom knowledge is important, but not enough. Marketing requires continuous practice, testing, and iteration. This project has taught me how to connect abstract theories with practical consumer insights; it’s preparing me to tackle more complex, real-world marketing challenges in the future.

Zhenhao's travels in Canada

You’re known as a “social star” among both Chinese and international students. How has engaging with such a diverse community shaped your university experience?

If studying and exams are like a black-and-white film, then social life is what brings colour to my university experience. To me, a university is a small society, and learning how to connect with people is one of the most important lessons at XJTLU. At traditional Chinese universities, classes are fixed and students only interact with the people in their class. Here, however, everyone chooses their own circle; friends come from different study programmes, but we’re drawn to each other.

With Chinese friends, I’ve found a sense of belonging far from home. We often have deep talks that have really changed me from the inside out, as we grow and improve together. With international friends, I’ve not only improved my English in a natural, daily-life way beyond textbooks, but also gained a glimpse of the world through their perspectives, while sharing Chinese culture with them in return.

Just as local friends abroad once supported me, I can now offer that support to others. And all these experiences give me confidence as I continue to step out into the world.

Zhenhao's travels in Canada

What advice would you give to someone applying to or looking at studying a course at IBSS and XJTLU?

At XJTLU, you are seen as a person first and then as a student. The University gives you great respect and freedom; there are no unnecessary requirements and plenty of rich opportunities. You’re free to choose your own path, and if you’re willing to explore, XJTLU provides a platform for you to grow in your own way. My advice would be to learn to spot opportunities, because IBSS and XJTLU offer so many if you pay attention. And above all, be ready for self-directed learning. Nobody will force you to study. You could “cram” over two weeks and forget everything after the exam, or you could take it step by step, broaden your knowledge, and graduate as someone who can truly call themselves a professional.

How would you sum up your IBSS journey briefly?

For me, IBSS has been a colourful journey of self-discovery, friendships, and becoming a true global citizen.

It’s the best time ever. I can hardly believe that I’ve been at XJTLU for three years; it feels like I started just yesterday.