Peking University, September 1, 2025: The Student Center on August 31 and September 1 hosted more than 1800 undergraduates, postgraduates, and exchange students from over 110 countries and regions for a registration event, aiming to foster connections and promote cultural exchange among newly enrolled students. Under the banner of PKU, participants shared their unique stories and forged lasting memories, strengthening the university's global community from the very first day.
New students are engaging with the PKU Office of Global Communications team.
New students at the Student Center express their joy and anticipation for the year ahead.
Jay Price: An Irish Philosopher Finds His Intellectual Home at PKU
Jay Price shares a moment with his mother and sister at PKU's Student Center.
Jay Price, an undergraduate philosophy student from Ireland, sees Peking University as a boundless world—a place where one can genuinely make a difference.
For Jay, PKU is a massive hub, gathering students from all over the world to grapple with the problems of an increasingly interconnected world. For him personally, that means tracing things back to their roots: thinking through the issues that arise when humanity bands together, alienation from technology, ecological ethics, and more.
Among the pre-Qin philosophers, he finds the most common ground with Mozi. His favorite line in all of Chinese culture, which he calls revolutionary, comes from the Enlarged Sayings of Wisdom: "Heaven's will is not to be feared, ancestors' ways are not to be blindly followed, and the world's gossip is not worth fretting over."
Nerea Embraces New Horizons at Peking University
Nerea, a general visiting student from Spain in the Chinese Language Department, chose Peking University for its esteemed academic reputation and Beijing's rich cultural offerings.
Her first impression was one of awe. "The campus is huge, even more than I expected," she said. She was immediately drawn to the beauty of Weiming Lake and surprised by the vast scale of both the university and the city itself.
Eager to make the most of her time in Asia, Nerea hopes to travel across China and to other Asian countries to explore their rich cultural heritage.
Coming to PKU is a Long-Held Dream Come True for Anna
Anna, a Spanish exchange student majoring in Translation and Interpreting at a university in Barcelona, was inspired to study in China after her professor encouraged students to one day pursue education abroad. What once felt like a distant dream gradually became a goal. For Anna, being here is the fulfillment of a long-held aspiration.
Beijing itself is part of her excitement. She looks forward to wandering through the hutongs, trying authentic local food, and immersing herself in the culture and daily life of the city. “I want to experience Beijing with all my senses,” she says.
Her primary academic goal for this semester is to enhance her Chinese proficiency, both in class and in real-life situations. She believes this experience will give her the confidence and fluency she needs for her future career in translation and interpreting.
From Russia with Ambition: Fokina Olga Embraces the PKU Dream
Olga Fokina, an undergraduate student from Russia in the School of International Studies, considers herself fortunate to have participated in a pre-university program at Peking University, where she began learning Chinese.
"After studying here, I completely fell in love with the University and everything it provides, so my choice of where to study couldn't have been different," she recalls.
Olga has an ambitious list of goals to achieve before graduation: securing an exchange semester abroad, completing internships at both Chinese and international companies, improving her athletic physique, competing with a PKU sports team, and even completing an Ironman triathlon.
Written by: Jawad Shabbir, Akaash Babar
Edited by: Chen Shizhuo
Photo by: Wang Ziqian
