African youth love China's technology, culture

BEIJING－NourEldin Mohamed Abdelaal, from Egypt, declined offers from a number of elite universities in the West and joined the Beijing Institute of Technology to study computer sciences in September.

The 20-year-old had received multiple offers from universities in countries including the United States and Britain. The University of Cambridge also reserved a spot for him for his post-graduate studies.

However, he said he was attracted by China's booming computer industry and decided to come to China for his bachelor's degree.

NourEldin won the honor of "Best Arab Young Innovator in the World" in 2016 for his creation of a parallel network which exceeds the current internet speed by 32 times.

"China's computer industry is developing rapidly. I want to study here and find entrepreneurship opportunities," NourEldin says.

NourEldin's decision to study in China is supported by his father, who worked for a Chinese automobile company in Egypt for many years. His father has made more than 20 business trips to China and says the country is a "unique" place.

NourEldin came to Beijing in August 2017 to take a Chinese language course, but besides the language, he is also learning about traditional Chinese culture.

He is now a big fan of Chinese tea and enjoys watching Peking Opera.

After class on his first day at BIT, he went to Lao She Teahouse and watched a Peking Opera show with his dad.

He likes the costumes and the singing.

"The high-pitched tunes are like a nightingale singing," he says.