My name is Đani Peričić, and I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management. This academic year, I spent a semester in China, based in Haining, a smaller city in Zhejiang Province on the country’s eastern coast. The city is located between Hangzhou and Shanghai, which makes it very well connected to the most important urban centers of eastern China. This connectivity allowed me, alongside my academic responsibilities, to actively explore the broader context of the country – its cities, people, business culture, and everyday life beyond the campus. Zhejiang is often regarded as one of the most developed and dynamic regions in China: strong infrastructure, a fast pace of development, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit create an environment that, in my opinion, best reflects China and its unique blend of tradition and technology.
My main base was the Zhejiang University International Campus in Haining. The campus is designed both infrastructurally and organizationally to accommodate students from all over the world. In such an environment, everyday life naturally becomes international: different languages, educational systems, and habits come together in a shared space. Thanks to Haining’s excellent connections with larger cities, almost every weekend when I did not have academic obligations, I took the opportunity to travel across China.
I visited Shanghai several times, and each visit reminded me why it is one of the most important symbols of modern China: fast, global, ambitious, and full of contrasts. These trips were not just tourist experiences. They were an extension of learning – a way to experience China beyond the “student bubble.” When you move through different cities and regions, you stop observing a country through impressions and begin to recognize patterns: what is a cultural norm, what is a business practice, and what is the result of systems and infrastructure. This distinction is essential for anyone who aims to collaborate professionally with Chinese partners or work on international projects where China plays a significant role.
Unlike my first exchange at Tsinghua University, where I focused on finance, this time I joined the Global Communications and Management program, which suited me particularly well as it combines two dimensions that are inseparable in an international environment: clarity of communication and an understanding of management in a global context. The quality of the teaching staff also had a strong impact. Most professors come from international academic backgrounds – either as faculty from Western universities or as experts who completed their doctoral studies at prestigious institutions. This profile of lecturers is reflected in everything: from the way questions are asked and expectations are set in class to the evaluation criteria and the strong focus on precise thinking.
One of the most memorable moments during my time in China was participating again this year in the ESG conference in Shanghai, at the invitation of our dean, in the presence of former President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and other ZSEM colleagues who were also in China. Events like this have a special value because they connect the student perspective with a professional context. We had the opportunity to see how global topics such as sustainability, risk management, and responsible business practices function beyond the classroom – through institutions, speakers, and professional networks.
In addition to last year’s exchange at Tsinghua University, this was my second time in China, which made the experience particularly valuable. The first time, you absorb impressions; the second time, you begin to understand the structure. This year, China sharpened my cultural understanding through real situations: how to read what is left unsaid, how to build trust, how to adapt to different communication styles, and how to remain effective in an environment that differs from the European one in many ways. During my time at Zhejiang University, I met many people and built friendships and connections with individuals from different parts of the world. The value of this network is not in the number of contacts, but in the fact that it developed naturally – through everyday life, shared responsibilities, projects, and experiences. These are the kinds of connections most likely to last and later evolve into academic, professional, or entrepreneurial collaboration.
The exchange at Zhejiang University was a combination of three elements: academic development, an international environment, and direct contact with China. Through this combination, I gained more than knowledge – I developed adaptability, a global perspective on people and systems, and a realistic understanding of how experience turns into competence.
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