Nurturing Global Citizens for Future Horizons

“My daughter, Shuhan, first visited NYU Shanghai as a high school student in the summer of 2019 for a summer school session, and soon set her heart on attending NYU Shanghai as an undergraduate. She told me she loved the school's philosophy of being a "global citizen" and wants to "make the world her major." In her first and second  years, she met many friends from different cultural backgrounds. Interacting with them, she said, was not just about understanding the world outside, but also about finding herself. She wanted to major in finance but also minor in psychology through the NYU New York Cross-School Minors program. 

After consulting her academic advisor, she made a deliberate decision to choose London and New York as her Study Away destinations. In the summer of 2022, she flew to New York. Sometimes she calls me, sharing how challenging some of the classes are, but I feel proud when she works hard and achieves good grades. At the end of the Winter holiday, she traveled alone to London with two large suitcases, each weighing 23 kilograms. In London, she not only fulfilled her dream of minoring in psychology but also found an internship that combined it with her Finance major. She also took an art course on “London Architecture”, often sending me her architectural sketches, which helped me understand London's history and culture better. As her mother, I respect her independence and desire to experience different cultures and challenge herself. I believe that these years at NYU Shanghai have taught her to listen to her heart and find her own path. All we can do is support her,  watch her as she starts her next journey, visiting cultural and historical landmarks mentioned in books, experiencing life with new friends she met along the way, working hard at her internship, tasting various cuisines, and sometimes cooking the Chinese dishes she misses...

From Hangzhou to Shanghai, it is just 200 kilometers. From Shanghai she has traveled to New York, then to London, and Paris. Her journey continues, beyond what can be measured by steps, but followed by her heart.

I believe in and support every choice she makes, just like when she chose NYU Shanghai.”

--Zhang Ke, parent of Zhang Shuhan ’24