To this day, Tan Pei Wei, a Malaysian student at Tianjin University, vividly remembers the excitement she felt when she heard the news about China's unilateral visa-free entry policy for Malaysians at the end of last year. As the only daughter studying in China, she particularly hopes her parents and brothers can visit and see Tianjin University, where she will spend her four years of university life.
Tan Pei Wei, from Pahang, Malaysia, is a junior student at the School of Life Sciences at Tianjin University. After graduating from high school, driven by her love for life sciences, she chose to pursue a major in biological sciences in China. "As a child, I often wondered about the origins of life," she recalled. "Biology classes in school answered most of my questions, which sparked my deep interest in biology."
In 2021, as she was approaching her high school graduation, the personal experience of the COVID-19 pandemic strengthened Tan's determination to enter the field of biomedical sciences, aiming to improve human health and quality of life. It was then that news about Sino-Malaysian cooperation in promoting biotechnology for epidemic prevention caught her attention and inspired her to study in China. "Many universities came to our school for recruitment presentations. A teacher from the School of Life Sciences at Tianjin University introduced their research strengths in biological sciences, especially breakthroughs in synthetic biology, which immediately attracted me." Eventually, Tan Pei Wei was admitted to Tianjin University with excellent grades.
Speaking of her major, biological sciences, Tan is particularly passionate. "Our university has strong engineering advantages, so our major emphasizes bio-design and manufacturing, intersecting with frontier disciplines such as synthetic biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and microbial immunology."
When she first started, the pressure from the experimental courses was challenging. "Our major places a strong emphasis on innovative thinking and skills training, so the proportion of lab courses is high." Faced with pressure, Tan showed great resilience.
"You don't know if you can do it until you push yourself." She dedicated a lot of her spare time to lab courses, gradually becoming more adept at experimental operations. In September 2023, she participated in the university's basic experimental skills competition for life sciences and won first prize, becoming the only international student to receive this honor and qualifying for the municipal competition.
Tan still remembers being amazed by the progress in synthetic biology research she learned about during the high school presentations and has been seeking opportunities to learn more about related research. This March, when she heard about the recruitment for the college's iGEM team, she immediately applied and was successfully selected. iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition) is a synthetic biology competition comprising teams from universities and high schools worldwide, combining knowledge from biology, computer science, and engineering. Due to her outstanding experimental skills, she naturally joined the experimental group. Although participating in the iGEM competition made her busier, she was thrilled to be one step closer to her dream.
"Busy but fulfilling" has been the underlying note of Tan Pei Wei's college life. She is a key member of the Malaysian student community, often organizing various exchange activities for international students and has participated in receiving visiting Malaysian government officials. She joined the Tianjin University international student Chinese choir, participating in multiple performances as a piano accompanist and soprano. This year, she also joined the international student cheerleading team, winning first place at the university sports meet.
Amid her tight college schedules, Tan actively seeks opportunities to learn more about China. On a visit to Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, She was amazed by the Yellow River, explored a desert and rode a camel for the first time in her life, and was deeply captivated by local delicacies.
Tan said that she cherishes her time studying in China and hopes to understand China as much as possible while pursuing her dream in the biomedical field, thus promoting Sino-Malaysian exchange. "I want to travel to more places in China, to feel the profound culture of this country."
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. Tan Pei Wei, along with 86 other Malaysian students at Tianjin University, wrote a joint letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping. They expressed their willingness to continue the friendly relations between China and Malaysia, jointly build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and contribute to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Tan Pei Wei is confident about the future of China-Malaysia relations. "More and more Chinese enterprises are investing and starting businesses in Malaysia, bringing many job opportunities to the youth of both countries." She believes that her study experience in China will greatly enhance her competitiveness and increase her development opportunities. "May the relationship between the two countries grow stronger and the friendship last forever," Tan Pei Wei sincerely wished.
By Eva Yin
