Zhang Qingyuan Grace: HUSS is almost like home to me

Zhang Qingyuan Grace, a Chinese PhD student at the Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUSS) could easily accommodate herself to a new world she found in Budapest, and she is proud that she has received extensive knowledge from the teachers of the university.

Zhang Qingyuan Grace, who was born in Shanghai, China, has been staying at the Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUSS), Budapest for three years now. During the first two years of her stay, she completed her master’s degree in sports coaching specialising in fencing at HUSS, and then she got admitted to HUSS’s Doctoral School in September last year where she is currently studying Decision Making in Sport and Science.

The question arises: why does someone decide to set up a new life far from her home in a completely new culture and environment? Grace has the answer.

“After finishing my BA in finance and economics at the Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, I decided to start a new adventure. My father, a dedicated fencing coach, learned about the programme through a friend who highly recommended it. That year was the first time the programme recruited Chinese students. Despite the uncertainties ahead, they believed it was a unique and valuable opportunity. Encouraged by their confidence and support, I set out to discover this most prestigious sports university in Hungary. I think I made a good decision”, she explains.

One would think that life in Hungary is very different from the one in China, and this is basically true. This, however, did not cause any difficulties for Grace.

“I had attended a summer school in Australia earlier, so I knew what it was like to be away from my country, and meet new people from totally different cultures. I was lucky because I had two Chinese class mates from my BA studies who also came to study at HUSS, so I never felt anything like I am alone. Of course, there are differences between the two cultures, but I could easily accommodate myself to the new conditions. Budapest is a completely safe city, I could say it is ‘Chinese-friendly’. However, I have to admit that the Hungarian cuisine was a bit of a surprise for me”, she smiles.

8 Apr 2025