"When I met the professors who taught me 13 years ago on campus, I was nearly in tears. I gathered my happiest times and memories here, studying and living for five years at Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU)," Nguyen Tran Quang, a class of 2008 graduate from Vietnam, said emotionally in fluent Chinese as he stood on the stage.

Addressing an audience of around 200 -- mostly international exchange students from around the world -- the environmental engineering graduate was often applauded as he spoke.

"I want to share with you the five 'mosts' during my stay here at Jiaotong University," said Nguyen Tran Quang, now an assistant to the general manager at a Thermo Electron facility in his home country.

"My most-loved place here is the football field; and my most-loved person is my head teacher."

"The scent I miss most is the smell of leaves on the campus; the accomplishment I feel most proud of was attending BJTU’s First International Culture Festival on May 20, 2006; and the contribution I am most proud of, the last I made to my school, was to set up a web page showing 360 degrees of pictures of the campus."

"I even got reported in the media for my site," said the slim young man, grinning. "I wanted to show those who came after me how BJTU looked in 2008."

The Inheriting, Integrating and Innovation -- Studying Abroad and Career Opportunities International Alumni Forum is held on Sept 10. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Integrating Traditions for Common Development

Homecoming Days for graduates of Beijing Jiaotong University in celebration of its 120th birthday were held on Sept 9 and 10.

A special forum, the Inheriting, Integrating and Innovation -- Studying Abroad and Career Opportunities International Alumni Forum, was held on Sept 10 as an exchange platform for the university’s current international students and graduates.

Mulenga Friday Mcsleezy, a 1982 graduate from Zambia, shared his gratitude for the school and the lasting friendship between China and Zambia.

"After studying here, I worked in the transportation sector in my country until retirement," said Friday, as most classmates and teachers call him. "And now, after retirement, I'm working as the manager at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport."

"I have received several Chinese top leaders at the airport. When they learned that I studied at BJTU, they were all surprised but happy about it."

"I will quote what I’ve learned here to conclude my speech. Chairman Mao once said: 'study, study and keep studying.' I will always keep that in mind," said Friday.

"I should thank the Chinese government because it offered me the scholarship, or I would never have had the chance to come here," said Joseph Kibii Mariti, a 1987 graduate majoring in civil engineering, "I became the first Kenyan to study at BJTU."

The Inheriting, Integrating and Innovation -- Studying Abroad and Career Opportunities International Alumni Forum is held on Sept 10. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Future Development

In the era of mass entrepreneurship and innovation, that kind of international student has also benefited from studying at the university.

Fabian Jesse Forrest from the US, and Sy Daniel Xu Zhenxi from France are just in their early 20s. Their experience at the school shows their courage and extraordinary imagination.

Fabian, a 2016 graduate majoring in the engineering of human-computer interaction, opened his own company while still on campus. He was involved in designing the web portals of the Beijing Municipal Government and serves as a program consultant for the Super Brain, a popular science reality show in China.

Daniel, majoring in software engineering, trained himself as an Internet expert and set up his own company in the Zhongguancun area, China's version of the Silicon Valley.

He is confident about the prospects of his company, which uses network data to meet the demands of his customers, reported the overseas edition of the People’s Daily.

"The Chinese Internet market is just like a big cake. As long as you work hard, you are sure to win a share," said Daniel in an interview with the newspaper.

Formerly known as Northern Jiaotong University, Beijing Jiaotong University is a national key university. So far, it has established cooperative relations with over 200 universities and famous multi-national enterprises from more than 40 countries in order to cultivate first-class talents with global vision, according to the official website.

Chen Feng, the university's vice president, said at the forum's opening ceremony that the university is providing more down-to-earth opportunities for international students to gain from the Belt and Road Initiative and to become the innovative and entrepreneurial talents of the future.

Alumni Association of Mongolia International Students, Beijing Jiaotong University. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]