Russian student discovers Shenzhen's softer side

Editor's Note: As Shenzhen prepares to host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November, we are inviting young people from around the world to share their views on the city and on APEC. In this contribution, Irina Pankrashkina, originally from Russia and now a student at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, shares her views.

Skyscrapers had always frightened me — until I found myself wandering through Futian district in Shenzhen. I had always considered myself a "rural" person: the concrete jungle at the center of Moscow never appealed to me, and there I often felt as though I were trapped in a silver cage with no way out. As a result, I avoided exploring modern, fast-paced cities.

In 2024, I was admitted to Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, which was jointly founded by the Beijing Institute of Technology and Lomonosov Moscow State University. My reaction was quite ambivalent. On the one hand, I had been learning Mandarin since I was seven years old and had fallen in love with Chinese culture almost instantly.

For years, I had begged my parents to take me to China — and now, here it was: the opportunity I had longed for my whole life. Yet, as I scrolled through photos of Shenzhen online, I was horrified at the prospect of living in such a technologically advanced city for the next four years.

My first steps into the heart of Shenzhen were therefore awkward and uncertain. I had mentally prepared myself to call my mother in tears, frightened by my future. But my hand never reached for my phone. Instead, I felt more powerful than I ever had before. I sensed that every door in my life was open, and that here, in Shenzhen, I had every opportunity to achieve my dreams.

The unmatched harmony between nature and technology fascinated me. Tall skyscrapers rose against a backdrop of flourishing green hills, highlighting the balanced combination of humanity and nature. Rather than feeling constricted by the city, I felt inspired by it: glass towers reflected the sky, while parks and palm-lined pathways softened the sharp edges of urban life.

As I walked deeper into Futian, I noticed how thoughtfully Shenzhen had been designed. Modern buildings stood beside quiet gardens, and high-speed technology coexisted with traditional tea houses and bustling street markets. The city did not ask me to choose between progress and nature, between ambition and calm. Instead, it showed me that they could grow and flourish together.

The next revelation came while I was sitting in a small, authentic restaurant hidden between two supermarkets. I could not resist the gentle smile of the elderly owner, who welcomed me and invited me to try her dim sum. Children played around the tables, while tranquil Chinese melodies floated through the air. Then there was the smell — no words I knew could fully describe the scent that made my mouth water. When my dish arrived, the kind owner patiently showed me how to use chopsticks.

Shenzhen, a major technological hub that attracts people from every corner of the world, introduced me to some of the most interesting and thoughtful people I have ever met. I can confidently say that many of them will remain part of my life. The community here is vast, bringing together people from every field I can imagine. I have made many new meaningful connections, and I am incredibly grateful for every moment spent with them.

Looking back, I realize that my decision to move here was somewhat unpredictable and risky, and I have not regretted it for a single day. As I continue my journey here, I know that Shenzhen will keep surprising me. It has already given me more than an education — it has given me a new perspective on nature, technology, community, and myself. And perhaps that is the greatest gift a city can offer: not simply a place to live, but a place that helps you discover who you are becoming.