Zacharias Kampanis

My name is Zacharias Kampanis and I come from Greece. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Maritime Studies and I have working experience in Shipping Business both in my home country and abroad. Currently, I am a Postgraduate Student at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

My major is International Business. Apart from my mother tongue, I can speak fluently 4 other foreign languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and German.

In the past, I had the opportunity to visit China a few times on various occasions. Either for business trips, or for participating at Chinese Bridge International Language Competition for Foreign Students that takes place annually at Hunan Province. Through this competition, I was fortunate enough to earn a scholarship from Confucius Institute and study one semester of Advanced Chinese at Tsinghua University. This time, my intention is to make a new beginning at personal and professional level in the Middle Kingdom. The Master’s Program I attend, is the first step towards that direction and the main mean to realize my aims.

What I really find interesting about my life here in China, is the fact that every day I learn something completely new, even for the simplest things. It is a place that pleasantly surprises me daily and a place I can never get bored of. I have also been amazed by the economic development that takes place in China not only in Beijing and the coastal line, but also in the mainland. Because I have been learning Chinese Kung Fu in my home country, I believe that practicing Kung Fu at its birthplace, it gives someone an additional incentive and also a special feeling that cannot be described with words.

Generally speaking, I like everything about China. Above all, I really appreciate people’s kindness especially when I use their mother tongue to communicate. From my part, I really enjoy their excitement, when I tell them that I am Greek. A thing that makes me feel honored is the fact that, Chinese people have a deep knowledge about Greek history and philosophy.As for the places I have been so far, China is indeed 神州. To sum up, living in China has been a wonderful journey so far and I have enjoyed every moment of it. It is a country where I find myself, a place I call home. For this reason, I will try my best to bring the two countries even closer, combining culture and trade.