Pablo Carpanetti, a Chilean student from Fudan International School of Finance, delivered a speech on behalf of the international students at the university’s Opening Ceremony days ago, leaving a deep impression on the audience with his fluent Chinese.
“I was practicing from 9:00 am to almost 7:00 pm. My speech was revised 7 or 8 times, and I was so nervous because I couldn’t memorize it.” Knowing he would be representing the new students, Pablo said he was extremely nervous. To ensure a good performance, he practiced his speech over and over again until he could deliver it with confidence and fluency.
In his speech, Pablo shared his experience of learning Chinese at Fudan and his excitement about his new identity as a Fudan graduate student. However, what many don’t realize is that when he first arrived in China, he wasn’t able to speak or understand spoken Chinese. Before coming to Shanghai, Pablo had studied Chinese for five years at the Confucius Institute in Chile, where he had a good foundation in reading and writing. “In my country, the courses focused more on reading and writing. I was better at reading and writing than at speaking and listening.”
After a year of studying Chinese at Fudan, Pablo was able to converse with his Chinese friends effortlessly and fluently. He credits Fudan’s Chinese learning program for providing a rich and immersive environment that significantly enhanced his speaking and listening skills. The program also offered him ample opportunities to engage in Chinese cultural activities, such as pottery, ink fabric, incense, and Chinese drumming classes. His background in piano helped him pick up traditional Chinese drumming quickly. After just one semester of learning, he became the leader of the International Students Chinese drumming team and even began mentoring new members. The team has performed in many occasions and major events.
The Chinese drum team, comprising international students from Fudan University, performed at the opening ceremony of the “Perceiving China” event in 2024.
“After the speech, I got a lot of questions on social media about studying at Fudan,” Pablo said. “People are starting to see how crucial it is to be connected to China in today’s global economy,” he remarked.
Before coming to China, Pablo had worked as a civil engineer in Chile for six years. “To be honest, I was a little bit tired,” he said. “And I wanted to do something different with my life.” Pablo said, he always buys one-way tickets instead of round-trip tickets when he travels. He likes having more choices in life, not just following a set path, and also seeks more possibilities in life.
“Because my parents always told me that you should not go just by one way, because you never know what’s gonna happen,”he said. “If you can make several plans at the same time, it would be always better. You always need to have a Plan B, C and D.”
This semester, Pablo has eight courses, which is a bit of a full schedule for him. It includes professional courses in English such as microeconomics and statistics for decision making, financial accounting, etc. His classmates come from all over the world, and the multicultural environment gives him a lot of inspiration.
Studying finance at Fudan has opened up new possibilities for Pablo. His engineering background provides him with a unique perspective in the finance field, enriching his skill set. He’s determined to excel in his courses and, in the future, hopes to secure a job in Shanghai, China’s financial center.
His six years of work experience have given him a more pragmatic view of graduate studies. In his opinion, studying is not just about passing exams or getting a diploma, but about helping oneself solve problems in work and life. “In the past, I sometimes studied just to pass the exams. But after gaining some work experience, I learned the importance of studying not just for grades, but for the future.”
Beyond the skyscrapers in Shanghai, Pablo uncovered the city’s vibrant essence. He took pleasure in observing retirees working out in the open air and exploring local markets to soak up the local lifestyle. The warmth of the locals in Shanghai also left a deep impression on him. “The city is way better than I thought. It’s incredibly safe,” he said.
Pablo’s choice to study in China was shaped by his parents and upbringing. His parents befriended a Chinese family when they moved to northern Chile, forging a close bond that sparked Pablo’s early connection to Chinese culture. “I feel that the Chinese people and the Chilean people share many similarities, especially in culture and even in the jokes we tell.”
Pablo particularly loves Harbin. He visited there in January this year, and the -31°C weather made him wear several thick layers of clothing. The variety of ice sculptures fascinated him, and he even took a photo with his student ID card next to an ice sculpture of Fudan’s Guanghua Building. In addition to Harbin, he has also traveled to Beijing, Xinjiang, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and many other places. He enjoys experiencing the cultures in different parts of China.
When asked what he would have done if he hadn’t been admitted to Fudan’s graduate program, he said he would probably have gone back to Chile, “I think I would have just kept doing what I was doing for the last six years.”
However, being admitted as a graduate student at Fudan changed his life trajectory, allowing him to explore more possibilities in life. “Everything has been so unexpected. I’m so happy to be here. I really like Fudan.”
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Writer: WANG Mengqi
Editor: LI Yijie
