I’m Alifia Anandita, a first-year PhD student at Fudan University. Getting accepted into the third-best university in China and the best in Shanghai has been an incredibly valuable experience for me. All my struggles and hard work have finally paid off! Now, I am officially a student at Fudan University! I hope you can follow in my footsteps and get accepted here too. Let me share my experiences as a first-year student at Fudan! Here we go!

A Beautiful Campus with Unique Architecture

The main campus of Fudan University is located on Handan Road in Shanghai. The university has several campuses within one area, including Handan Campus, Jiangwan Campus, Fenglin Campus, and Zhangjiang Campus. Students don’t need to worry about mobility because Fudan University provides free buses to travel between these campuses.

The unique architecture makes me feel comfortable strolling around. The library facilities are also very comprehensive. The large university setting keeps us students active in various school activities.

Field Trips

Activities outside of school are often organized not only by the university but also by our departments or faculties. These include tours around Shanghai, visits to museums, and even trips out of town. These field trips enhance our knowledge of Chinese culture and traditions. And guess what? These field trips are free! We travel with groups of students and teachers from the Fudan University International Student Office. These experiences have enriched my time as a student in China. Typically, there are 3-5 field trips organized each year. Students participating in these activities come from various programs, including language and degree programs from different majors.

Cultural Events

The most anticipated event for international students! This annual event is highly awaited because international students from various countries can set up booths to showcase their culture, traditional food, traditional clothing, and introduce their own languages. Here, you can see exhibitions and enjoy cultures from around the world. This event is also a great opportunity to make friends and network with students from all over the world. Come and join us to showcase your culture!

Academic Lectures

I am very impressed with how my department, the Institute for Global Public Policy, and various departments at Fudan University organize discussion forums. Featuring guest lecturers from renowned universities around the world, these academic forums are lively and interactive. These academic lectures are routine forums outside of mandatory courses. Participants include scholars from various fields, not just undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students, but many professors from different departments also actively participate in these academic lectures. These activities are really beneficial because we can gain new research insights that support our studies. These events are usually held 2-3 times a week. Very intense, right?

Career and Networking Sessions – Volunteering

I actively participate in career and networking sessions. In these sessions, we get to know students from various countries and learn more about job opportunities in their home countries, sharing information about job vacancies and internships not only in China but also globally. From these events, I have learned and opened up professional networking opportunities to connect with industries and entrepreneurial friends in Shanghai. This is a fun event! As a former journalist in Indonesia, I received information to collaborate with Shanghai Daily on several events.