I am KY Sereyvatanak, a Cambodian student who was awarded scholarship of the Chinese Government under the Master Program for Youth Talent on Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation in 2019. I am now in my second-year majoring in environmental science and engineering in the College of Environment, and will start my research with the guidance of associate professor Chu Kejian this year.

On the first day I came to China, I started my new life and moved forward with my goals and my future. On August 26, 2019, I left my country and flew to study in China. I was excited and scared because that was my first time ever to take a plane. On the first day I arrived in China, I got many challenges to deal with, such as food, language, and weather. Food is the first  for me. Some Chinese foods were too spicy for me to accept. In the first week I ate only breads and hamburgers. However, things changed when I started to try and like Chinese food. Roast duck, Tofu, Chinese noodles are all delicious now. Secondly, communication was very tough because of language barrier. I couldn't speak Chinese and people here seldom speak English, therefore, it's really hard to understand each other. However, a month later I had mastered some basic Chinese for daily use and surprisingly I could use it for shopping. After one and a half years living here in China, my Chinese is getting better day by day. Thirdly, I couldn’t endure the cold weather from October to February. However, this period of time was also enjoyable during which we could experience the fun of having snowball fights. I could also build a snowman and take many beautiful pictures.

Kunming Airport              University Orientation 2019

There are a lot of beautiful and interesting cultural attractions to visit in Nanjing. The Confucius Temple is attractive and amazing. When I visited it at the first time I felt like that I had travelled back to the ancient time of China. I also went to Lake Xuan Wu, a peaceful and relaxable place with nature beauty and fresh air. I like views of rivers and lakes so much, so I can’t help visiting the Yangtze River, which is the 3rd longest river in the world, flowing across the Nanjing city. It's very huge, much wider than any river in my country. I also visited the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge which is the most famous bridge in Nanjing, so I could see the view of the river right above the middle. I also visited the famous Purple Mountain but it  was so big that I only visited part of it, such as the Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. I haven’t had a chance to visit many other famous and beautiful places like Niushou Mountain. I plan to visit thses places before I graduate.

Confucius Temple

Nanjing river bridge

The master program at Hohai University is very interesting and full of creative ideas which can improve the learning ability of each student. Hohai is equipped with advanced technology and convenient program allows us to select any interesting course by ourselves. Comfortable places to study in like the big modern library and cozy classrooms are also laudable. The library plays a role as a source of knowledge and contains countless books including Chinese books and English books. Besides, students can also search for and download books, journals, and documents from the online library. The library also provides a big place for student self-study and group study or meeting. The modernized study rooms make students feel pleasant. For sports activities, the university has fields for football, basketball, table tennis and other kinds of sports. During a year and a half of study at Hohai University, I came across a new life experience. Studying with international students from different countries made me feel excited and joyful. We all got along well and exchanged cultures in fun activities. We used to go shopping and taste Chinese food together after class on Friday. I have learned many things from Chinese professors and associated professors in the College of Environment. What I learned from them is not only new lessons in my major but also amazing Chinese history and culture. Moreover, I have taken part in many activities in school such as the international culture festivals in 2019 and 2020 that allowed us to showcase our talents; I also attended the mini-marathon in 2019 which was my first experience of running such a long distance, especially in the cold. A visit to the mega "South to North Water Diversion" project  in 2019 impressed me very much. This massive water transfer project channels water from the water-rich Yangtze River basin in the south to dry areas in the north, which shows us how powerful China is; Purple Clay Arts Experience Activity in 2021 was also a new experience to learn how Chinese people made beautiful pottery products in the past. Fan Liming, master of China Ceramic Arts of Jiangsu Province and Inheritor of Yixing Intangible Cultural Heritage taught us how to make a teacup. I have learned a lot at these events. What a surprise to me was the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2021, the school gave us a gift and a red envelope. I was very thankful for it. I also had a special chance to accept an interview from the CGTN,   an international media organization of China to talk about "Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation: Water partnership fosters a community of shared future".

International culture day 2019

Mini-marathon 2020 

Purple Clay Arts activity 2021

Now I am at my second year and start my research. My research is conducting on pollution of antibiotic in Luoma lake. CHU Kejian, my supervisor, guided me on how to write a good thesis and work efficiently. I also got a chance to learn new skills in experiment with Dr. LU Ying who is a doctoral student at my college. He guided me on how to prepare an experiment. LIU Yuan Yuan, a master student also helped me a lot. With the support from my supervisor and  fellow students, my research goes straight forward step by step. I really appreciate it.

Having dinner with supervisor and research team

I love my colorful life in China. I would like to thank the Chinese Government for giving me this opportunity to study and live in China. My appreciation also goes to Hohai University and the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center for their efforts in enriching my knowledge and improving my capacity. I will study harder and try my best to archive my goal.