Today we report from an entirely different perspective: Baibing Zhao, also known as Joe, is an international student at accadis Hochschule. His story is truly remarkable and daily reminds us of how lucky we are to be living in Germany. Joe had a plan in mind: In addition to his Chinese degree, he wanted to obtain a German Bachelor's degree in order to one day start his own business in Germany. In the middle of the Covid pandemic, in October 2021, he set off for Germany together with fellow students and looks back on his experiences in the following article: My plan and the pandemic
After we arrived safely in Germany, I immediately felt very much at home in my new surroundings and at accadis Hochschule. However, the pandemic made it difficult for my fellow students and me to get started with the program. Sadly, after a few months, we had to travel back to China in December 2021 after just a short stay in Germany. Entering China did not proceed as usual, but was very stressful due to the pandemic. For three months I was in quarantine at various locations. But despite all the hurdles, I graduated in China in the summer of 2022, but always stuck to my plan to earn my second Bachelor's degree at accadis Hochschule and then become self-employed in Germany. I already have experience with self-employment anyway: In my home country, I very successfully opened a small restaurant as an entrepreneur shortly after completing my studies. My way to Germany
To turn the plan of studying into reality, I took on further challenges: After applying for a visa several times, I arrived in Bad Homburg in May 2023 and was able to resume my studies at accadis Hochschule for the summer term. In order to earn money during my studies, I was given the opportunity to work as a working student in the accadis Marketing department. I really enjoy working there and I can make good use of my China-expertise.
On-site in Bad Homburg, I quickly made contacts with the accadis students - Simon Eppig, for example, showed me around Frankfurt. I also developed a friendship with Henrik Küper, who is studying International Business Management in his second year. Henrik for example helped with finding accommodation and showed me around Bad Homburg and the surrounding area. We got on really well straight away and as a thank you, I offered to show him my home country China. Round trip through China
No sooner said than done: During the lecture-free period in August 2023, Henrik and I spent two weeks in China: After a nine and a half hour flight, we landed at Beijing Capital Airport. We then went on to tour Beijing, Yantai, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Huzhou, Wuzhen, Suzhou and Shanghai respectively. After arriving in Beijing, we were truly excited to visit both Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City Museum. We also had an opportuniy to enjoy the famous Peking Duck! At the same time, Henrik was enthusiastic about Chinese cuisine, and we exchanged details about Chinese table manners. Just as in any culture, you can do a lot wrong while sharing a meal without even knowing it! We also visited the German and EU embassies in the area and had deep discussions and exchanges about different social systems, economic structures, historical perspectives, etc. This experience of cross-cultural collision impressed me and strengthened the significance of studying abroad. 
Another stop took us to Yantai, a city by the sea in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. There we met classmates from my childhood who had also gone abroad to study. We ate Japanese barbecue, played games at the night market by the sea, and gainedwonderful memories, which was a truly international experience for us. Apart from visiting different cities with different landscapes and enjoying varying cuisines, the most noteworthy thing were the huge cultural differences. As Henrik said, the Chinese people are very friendly to foreigners and he enjoyed the atmosphere in China, which is a very ethnically inclusive country. The cities in China are very clean and I was impressed by the fact that Henrik brought the Germans’ strict attitude and environmental awareness to China perfectly, by personally taking care of the environment in our cities first-hand and in a practical manner. Conclusion
I am happy that I was able to show Henrik my country and culture, and I am already looking forward to whenhe shows me more places in Germany and Europe.
Many thanks, Joe, for these great insights!