Samuel Ntakirutimana. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By BI Weizi and LONG Yun

In 2017, Rwandan student Samuel Ntakirutimana, currently a postdoctoral researcher at Tianjin University (TJU), came to Guangzhou for the very first time, excited at the prospects of starting a new life studying in China. He referred to Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in south China, as a "dynamic and vibrant place" with many skyscrapers and crowds of bustling people. Since then, Ntakirutimana has been furthering his studies at TJU in Tianjin and gained a deep understanding of China.

Actually, his curiosity about China started when he was growing up in his hometown in Rwanda and saw most of the products on market shelves labeled "Made in China." He wondered why everything was made in China and was eager to learn more about a country where almost anything in the world can be made.

Having spent seven years here, he has found that the country is now moving from "Made in China" to "Innovated in China.”In the process, it has taken the global center stage as an increasingly important player in promoting the development of science and technology.

What has impressed him most during his stay in China is the Chinese philosophy of Confucianism, which espouses that human beings are fundamentally good, teachable and improvable through personal and communal effort. The cultivation of virtue in a morally organized world is also a Chinese way of life, aimed at promoting harmony in the family and society as a whole. Ntakirutimana also enjoys Chinese culture, Chinese cuisines and historical sites. "It's like a magical journey of exploration," he said, adding that he fell in love with spicy food at first taste.

Academically, as the eighth of nine children in his family, Ntakirutimana’s passion for chemistry was ignited by his elder siblings' used chemistry textbooks. He found the confusing chemical symbols and experimental setup quite interesting. However, due to the limited lab facilities, his interest was just theoretical. Now at TJU, with easy access to world-class research facilities, he could dive into the sea of chemistry knowledge without any worries. "The Chinese education system is the best for me because it gives me the ideal environment to realize my dream," he said.

Ntakirutimana is aware that China has become one of the largest contributors to major scientific journals. "It is due to the fruit of China's policy and the rapid development of science and technology," he said, adding that China has invested a lot of money and effort in these areas, which is helping to build the country into a hub of talent. He tells his friends that support funds and scholarships at various levels are available for qualified students, [making] China a land of a thousand opportunities.

"China is developing on the right track, and I'm happy to be part of this big family," said Ntakirutimana. After completing the postdoctoral program, he hopes to continue to work as an academic researcher for expanding the horizons of his expertise and generating high-quality researches.