Awarded a Chinese government scholarship for exceptional academic achievement,

she journeyed from Egypt to Beijing University of Technology to pursue her PhD.

After graduating, she returned home to become a university teacher,

sharing her experiences in China with her students.

She is a BJUT alumna,

doctoral graduate of the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Mechanics, Class of 2025,

RANDA AHMED ELSAYED MAKLED

(Chinese name: Meigui)

Now, let's hear her story.

An Invitation Across Mountains and Seas

In Damietta, a northern port city in Egypt,

there is a young woman named Meigui,

who has been good with numbers since she was little.

"I was good at math in high school,"

she recalled.

"I chose Statistics as my university major because it's very practical

and can help solve many problems with data."

In her view,

whether in engineering, biology, medicine, or economics,

statistics plays an essential role.

She studied diligently

and after graduating became a teaching assistant at Damietta University in Egypt,

hoping to help more students understand the value of statistics.

"Mastering statistical methods gives you more confidence in research."

During her time as a teaching assistant,

Meigui happened to learn about

the Chinese government's scholarship program for PhD applicants.

At the time, she only had a partial knowledge of China and Chinese culture—

the majestic, winding Great Wall,

the tradition of respecting the old and caring for the young, just as in Egypt,

and the equally rich historical heritage.

These impressions led her to develop an affection for this distant land in the East.

"I can further my studies in statistics while embracing Chinese culture.

I can have the best of both worlds."

Without hesitation, she earnestly submitted her application.

In 2018,

she received the acceptance letter for her PhD program from BJUT.

Filled with both anticipation and uncertainty,

she flew to a China that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

Captivated by a Word Puzzle Game

When she first studied at BJUT,

the person who left the deepest impression on Meigui was her Chinese teacher, Sun Yan.

What Teacher Sun loved most was playing a world puzzle game with her students—

showing a part of a Chinese character for everyone to guess the full character.

Every time Meigui guessed correctly,

She was thrilled by these sudden moments of clarity.

What she looked forward to most was the "Storytelling Challenge."

Teacher Sun would write a few keywords on the blackboard

and students would create stories on the spot.

At first, Meigui stumbled over her words, blushing as she read,

but Teacher Sun always listened patiently until she finished.

Her classmates also applauded her with sincerity.

Thanks to their encouragement,

Meigui's Mandarin grew more and more fluent.

As her Chinese improved,

Meigui began to continually challenge herself—

hosting the international students' evening gala

and competing in English speech contests.

What stayed with her most was that

during the "Telling China's Story in English" event,

she vividly recounted

the transformation of Shougang Park from a steel plant into a Winter Olympic venue,

and won third place.

"I still remember how the audience listened to me attentively."

Meigui gradually came to understand that cultural exchange doesn't rely only on grand narratives;

sincere sharing and emotional resonance can be just as moving.

During her studies,

Meigui fell in love with Chinese calligraphy.

Her calligraphy teacher began by showing her how to hold the brush properly

guiding her through the basic horizontal and vertical strokes.

The first time she wrote the character for fortune properly with a brush,

Meigui's heart burst with joy.

At graduation,

She purposely brought her brushes and copybooks back to Egypt.

Nowadays, every weekend,

she teaches her two daughters how to write Chinese characters,

correcting the way they hold the brush while encouraging them,

hoping they will come to appreciate the beauty of Chinese characters.

During her studies,

Meigui would explore different Chinese cities whenever she was free.

These experiences

showed her a real, vivid China beyond what textbooks portray.

"Meeting my mentor was the greatest blessing. "

While pursuing her PhD at BJUT,

Meigui was fortunate to meet Professor Cheng Weihu.

Professor Cheng was not only academically rigorous,

but also cared for his students as a kind elder.

During the time she was writing her thesis,

Professor Cheng said to Meigui encouragingly,

"I know what you're capable of. Just go for it."

As a result, Meigui not only passed her doctoral defense,

but was also recommended by her college

to join the University's competition for outstanding doctoral dissertations.

After returning to Egypt,

Meigui continued to receive emails from Professor Cheng,

who was always concerned about her progress at work.

He often said,

"Feel free to come back and visit anytime. the lab door is always open to you."

Meigui said,

"Meeting Professor Cheng was the greatest blessing I had during my PhD studies."

To share is to plant seeds

After returning to Egypt,

Meigui became a lecturer at her alma mater, Damietta University,

and within a year, she was promoted to assistant professor.

She adapted to the change in her role.

She recalled how her professors at BJUT lectured

and followed their example in her work.

While teaching Demography,

Meigui would often utilise population data from China

and asked her students to analyze and compare specific sets of data

from China and Egypt, such as urban-rural population ratios and age profiles.

In her view, behind these numbers lie the real lives of people from different countries.

The data itself can also serve as a bridge connecting two ancient civilizations.

Meigui has always wished

to bring Damietta University and BJUT closer together.

She plans to create an online course,

inviting teachers from BJUT

to give online classes for students at Damietta University,

so that they don't need to leave their country

to attend classes by Chinese teachers.

She believes this is the truest form of cultural exchange—

learning from and understanding each other despite the great distance between the two nations.

In her spare time,

Meigui enjoys sharing her experiences in China on social media platforms—

her gains from participating in cross-cultural forums,

her impressions from visiting the Beijing Central Axis and the Grand Canal,

and the novel experiences of visiting Shougang Park and the Central Green Forest Park.

These sincere posts caught the attention of many Egyptian students,

who began to ask, with genuine curiosity,

"Ma'am, is it difficult to study in China?"

Today, five students mentored by Meigui are preparing their applications to Chinese universities,

with four aiming for PhD programs and one for a Master’s degree.

Watching them diligently prepare their materials,

Meigui often thinks back to her younger self.

She said with a smile,

"This is truly wonderful. Cultural exchange should go on just like this."