Osman Kavas, a Kyrgyz international student whose love for Chinese culture began with a Russian version of the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West, is now on a journey eastward to pursue studies in China.

Majoring in automation at North Minzu University in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, the 21-year-old undergrad has not only gained knowledge, but also found love and a promising career path.

However, in the beginning, Kavas faced challenges with the coursework and his Chinese language studies, particularly terminology related to automation engineering.

By adopting a "multilingual comparative learning approach" — first studying Chinese textbooks, then checking Russian or English materials when he gets stuck — he has gradually tackled the problems.

Kavas said his romance with a girlfriend from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has been the brightest point in the chapter of his life abroad. Yet differences in their living habits due to their cultural backgrounds occasionally caused small frictions.

"These differences never became barriers," Kavas said. "Mutual respect and seeing things from the other's perspective can dissolve disagreements naturally."

After graduation, Kavas hopes to stay and work in China.

"The automation sector has tremendous growth potential here. I want to become an engineer who can improve my family's livelihood while contributing to society with expertise," he said.

At the China-Central Asia Education Ministers' Meeting held in May in Urumqi, Xinjiang, education ministers from Central Asian countries expressed their desire to further strengthen educational ties with China.

China has become a top destination for Central Asian students, and Confucius Institutes and Chinese language programs are expanding across the region. Thirteen Confucius Institutes now operate in Central Asia, and four countries have formally integrated Chinese into their national education systems, according to the Ministry of Education.

In October, China and the five Central Asian countries jointly launched an initiative at the 11th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in Yinchuan, Ningxia, which proposed to consolidate cooperation in fields such as culture and education, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

As one of Ningxia's higher education institutions cooperating with Central Asian countries, Ningxia Polytechnic has partnered with Uzbekistan's Bukhara Engineering Technological Institute to carry out technical and vocational training programs for faculty and students.

Huang Wenjuan, vice-president of Ningxia Polytechnic, said it will expand and deepen cooperation with its counterparts in Central Asia and other Belt and Road countries, to create multilateral platforms for shared development and expand international networks for vocational education exchanges.

Official data shows there are currently over 200 Central Asian students studying at universities in Ningxia. They have served as a bridge for people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between the region and Central Asian countries.

Lliasov Anvar, another Kyrgyz student at North Minzu University, has enjoyed exploring local cuisine and experiencing traditional customs and cultural festivals such as Chinese New Year.

Anvar has also served as an unofficial cultural ambassador, introducing Kyrgyz holidays to Chinese friends while enthusiastically promoting his hometown's signature dish — plov.

Inspired by his father's mobile phone trading business, Anvar, who is studying international economics and trade, plans to leverage his expertise to advance China-Central Asia economic cooperation after graduation.

Uzbek student Fonyu Lugmar became fluent in Chinese in just one year. His secret is turning the school playground into a "second classroom" — through soccer and volleyball games, he befriended Chinese students and sharpened his language skills through natural conversations.

He frequently shares his experiences in China with family and friends back in Uzbekistan, from the convenience of mobile payments and the ever-present sense of security, to mouthwatering street food and vibrant traditional festivals.

Lugmar said he is currently telling stories about Ningxia to Uzbek students through his lens, inviting more of them to come and experience the country for themselves.