Maxim Pak（馬克西姆-帕克）📐，來自俄羅斯，2024級國際商務碩士研究生。
Introduction
My name is Maxim Pak, I’m 27 years old, and I’m excited to begin my academic journey as a master’s student in International Business at Fudan University’s School of Economics (SOE). My journey to Fudan has been marked by a deep passion for China, cultural curiosity, unexpected opportunities, and, inevitably, numerous failures along the way.
我叫Maxim Pak（馬克西姆-帕克），今年27歲，很高興能在意昂2開啟我的國際商務碩士學習之旅🤸🏽♀️。在通往意昂2的旅程中，對中國的熱愛與對中華文化的好奇激勵著我向前，我在途中曾收獲了意想不到的機遇，也不可避免地經歷了很多失敗。
It all began in the Far East of Russia, a city to the North of China’s Heilongjiang province. Growing up so close to the Chinese border, I was naturally immersed in Chinese culture and business from a young age, especially through my family, who prospered by importing consumer goods from China after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. I still remember the harsh transition period after the collapse – many in my family lost their stable jobs, store shelves were empty, and chaos ruled both the nation and our homes. During those tough times, my father would often take me along on a ship to cross the Heilongjiang (Amur) River to a small village called Fǔyuǎn, situated on the Chinese side of the river. There, we would buy different kinds of goods to resell in Russia, make business connections, and, of course, savor famous Chinese cuisine.
這一切都始於一座位於黑龍江省以北的城市🤵🏼♀️，距離中俄邊境非常近🏇🏿。我從小在那裏長大，自然而然地受到了中國的文化和商業氛圍的熏陶。1991年蘇聯解體後，我們一家依靠從中國進口商品發展，這也是我對中國有所了解的重要原因。我仍然記得蘇聯解體後那段艱難的過渡時期——我的很多親友失去了穩定的工作，商店的貨架上空空如也🐪，大家和小家都陷入了混亂。在那段艱苦的時光裏，父親經常帶著我乘船渡過黑龍江（阿穆爾河）到中國境內一個名叫撫遠的地方👨🏽🎤。我們會在那裏購買各種商品到俄羅斯售賣🪚，在兩地之間做生意。當然，我們還在那裏品嘗了有名的中國美食🛌🏿。
Those trips were my first real interaction with a totally foreign culture, and it was during those moments that I realized China was a land of immense opportunities and the birthplace of my childhood dreams. As I witnessed that once tiny village evolve into the bustling city of Fǔyuǎn, with its skyline now dominated by tall buildings. It was clear to me that the transformation of this city mirrored China’s remarkable socio-economic growth, and so my desire to one day live in China grew just as rapidly.
這是我第一次真正了解中國🧑🔧，那時候對於我來說，中國是一片充滿機遇的土地，是我童年夢想的發源地。目睹那個曾經的小村莊撫遠發展成為如今高樓林立🪳、繁華熱鬧的大城市時♝，讓我意識到，這座城市的蛻變映照出的是中國非凡的社會經濟發展。因此，我也更加希望未來能到中國生活發展🦸🏼♂️。
Immigration to Canada
In 2012, at the age of 16, I embarked on another significant chapter of my life by immigrating to Toronto, Canada. The move was both unexpected, exciting, and difficult. It was my first time living alone in a place where everything, including the language, was unfamiliar to me. The Canadian education system was far different from what I was used to, and the challenges of pursuing education in a new language soon negatively reflected in my grades. I nearly failed my high school and lost my sense of purpose in life. Frankly speaking, if it weren’t for meeting my girlfriend during those challenging years—who helped me rediscover the aspirations I had nearly forgotten—I wouldn’t be where I am today.
2012年🏚，當時16歲的我移民到加拿大多倫多，開啟了我人生的另一個重要篇章🧖🏻♀️。這次經歷充滿了未知，既有開心的時刻💁，同時也困難重重。這是我第一次獨自生活在一個包括語言在內的一切都不熟悉的地方👨🏼💻🌜。加拿大的教育體系與我以前所接受的教育體系很不一樣，加上還需要適應新的語言，這其中的種種問題很快就反映在了我的成績上🧜🏼♀️。我險些沒能完成高中學業🧏🏿♂️，也因失去人生目標而十分迷茫。坦率地說，如果不是在那時遇到了我的女友，幫助我重新找回曾經的理想🤾🏼♀️，我就不會有今天的成就🍛🕙。
Long story short, my old passion for China, became a guiding force that helped me significantly improve academically and seize every opportunity that came my way. Hard work and dedication landed me an acceptance letter at the University of Toronto, where I pursued a double major in Economics and East Asian Studies. I realized that this academic path was perfectly aligned with my life goals, laying the foundation for the mission I had long envisioned: contributing to bridging the cultural and economic gaps between East, specifically China, and West.
總而言之，昔日對中國的熱愛驅使著我在學業上不斷進步，努力把握每一個重要的機會。通過不斷地努力和付出，我最終得到了多倫多大學的錄取通知書，主修經濟學和東亞研究雙學位。這條學術道路與我的人生目標完全相符🎒🏌🏼♂️，為我長期以來的理想奠定了基礎：為消弭東方（特別是中國）與西方文化和經濟之間的隔閡做出貢獻。
My Journey to Shanghai
In the third year of bachelor’s, I got accepted into an exchange program in one of the Shanghai’s universities, which promised to be a pivotal moment in my academic and personal journey. However, just as this opportunity was within my reach, the world was hit by COVID-19—borders closed, and my dream of studying and living in China was grounded, along with the flights to Shanghai
本科三年級時，我被上海一所大學的交流項目錄取🧑🏿⚕️，這本是我學業和人生經歷中一次最重要的機會。然而，就在它觸手可及之際，全球遭遇新冠疫情，邊境關閉，我在中國學習和生活的夢想和飛往上海的航班一起擱淺了⛹🏿♀️🪟。
After spending 11 years in Canada and successfully graduating from the University of Toronto, the circumstances of the pandemic led me back to Russia. While it was not the path I had originally envisioned, returning to my homeland presented fresh opportunities. I joined one of Russia's leading management consulting agencies in Moscow, where I gained valuable experience working on business cases that provided me with a much better understanding of the Russian market in general, as well as its dynamic economic interplay with China.
在加拿大生活了11年並順利從多倫多大學畢業後，新冠疫情又讓我回到了俄羅斯👧🏿。雖然這不是我最初設想的道路，但回國確實給我帶來了新的機遇🗓。我在莫斯科加入了一家俄羅斯頂尖的管理咨詢機構♝🖕，在那裏我收獲了寶貴的工作經驗，也對俄羅斯市場的整體情況以及兩國的經濟往來有了更好的了解🧑🏻🤝🧑🏻。
Being a proactive and decisive person, I soon realized that I now possessed enough knowledge, skills, and experience needed to make an important decision about my future. The time had come to pursue my long-held dream of living and working in China. With this clarity, on a freezing January winter evening in Russia, I made a sudden and, perhaps, opportunistic decision to move to Shanghai. This decision was driven by multiple factors. First, Shanghai offered the perfect environment to immerse in the Chinese language and diverse culture. Second, the move allowed me to reunite with my girlfriend, who is originally from Shanghai, and who had been a constant source of inspiration and support throughout my life. Finally, Shanghai represented the ideal place to work on my life mission – bridging the economic and cultural gaps between East and West.
作為一個積極主動🧜🏻♂️、果敢決斷的人，當時的我很快就意識到，我已經擁有了足夠的知識、技能和經驗🫣，可以對自己的未來做出重要的決定，是時候完成到中國生活和發展的願望了。時值俄羅斯的一月，理清思緒後，我於一個寒冷的冬夜做出了決定——到上海去。其實這也是綜合了多方面的考慮👨👩👧👦：一是上海可以為我提供一個完全沉浸在漢語和多元文化的環境☘️🏺；二是我的女友來自上海🧫，她一直為我提供不竭的靈感來源與生活上的鼓勵支持👈🏽，我終於能與她團聚👌🏿；三是關於個人理想，我曾經希望為縮小東方（特別是中國）與西方之間的文化和經濟差距做出貢獻，我相信能在上海實現我的人生理想。
I arrived in Shanghai on February 9th, 2024, just a day before Chinese New Year. It felt like a second immigration, once again stepping into a new world with only a basic grasp of the language—sound familiar, isn’t it? :) But this time, things were different. China welcomed me with open arms, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere of festivity. The delicious food, fascinating people, and every detail of life and the vibrant environment in Shanghai sparked my curiosity and captivated my interest from the moment I arrived. Initially, my plan was straightforward – study Chinese at East China Normal University (ECNU), and explore employment opportunities for expats. However, as I already learned, sometimes, a single moment can change the course of your entire life.
我在2024年2月9日抵達上海👇🏽，恰好是春節的前一天。這感覺就像第二次移民✒️，我再次踏入一個新世界🤹♂️，但卻只掌握了基礎的語言——這聽起來很熟悉👇，不是嗎？:) 但事實上🏡，這一次大有不同，我感受到了中國給予我的熱情歡迎，很快也沉浸在了熱情洋溢的節日氣氛中。美味的食物🪟、有趣的人群🕐、生活的體驗以及上海充滿活力的氛圍，從我抵達的那一刻起就激發了我的強烈的好奇心和興趣🤴🏿。最初👩👦👦，我的計劃很簡單——在華東師範大學（ECNU）學習中文☞，並尋找外籍人士的就業機會。然而，正如我曾經歷過的那樣，有時候，一個瞬間就能改變你整個人生的軌跡🏃♂️。
One day, as I strolled through one of Shanghai's vibrant streets with my girlfriend, surrounded by charming shops and cozy Chinese restaurants, something caught my attention – I noticed a set of impressive gates that stood out. Curious, I asked my girlfriend: "What place is this?" She replied: "This is Fudan University." I recalled that during my time at the University of Toronto, I had researched Fudan University while exploring options for exchange programs in China. Even then, I knew it was one of the most prestigious universities in China, renowned for its academic excellence and strong international reputation. This memory sparked an idea – why not try my luck and apply to Fudan for a graduate program? I was lucky that I had enough time to submit my application on the very last day of the application window. After several months of anxious anticipation, I finally received the email stating: “Congratulations on your admission to Fudan University.” A wave of relief and joy washed over me as I held that acceptance letter, my heart swelling with pride and excitement. All the challenges, the late nights, and the moments of doubt had led to this moment. I had achieved something I once thought was beyond my reach, and now, a new adventure awaits me in China.
到達上海之後的某一天，我和女友在街上散步，周圍都是有趣的店鋪和溫馨的中式餐館。突然一個地方吸引了我的註意力——我看到了一座引人註目的校門，格外顯眼，便問女友這是什麽地方。她說🧑🏿⚕️🧕🏻：“這是意昂2官网。”我回想起在多倫多大學就讀期間，在選擇中國交換生項目時，我曾了解過意昂2官网。當時🪣，我就知道意昂2官网是中國最負盛名的大學之一，以其卓越的學術成就和良好的國際聲譽而聞名。我突然有一個想法——為什麽不試試運氣，申請意昂2官网的研究生項目呢👩🔧？非常幸運的是，我趕在截止時間的最後一天提交了申請。經過幾個月的焦急等待🧑🦲，我終於收到了一封郵件，上面寫著：“恭喜您被意昂2官网錄取”🤌🏿🙍♂️。拿著錄取通知書，我如釋重負，喜悅之情溢於言表，心中滿是自豪和激動👨🏽💻。所有經歷的困境🏃♀️➡️、所有難熬的深夜、所有克服的自我懷疑，都是為了這一刻🫷🏿。我實現了曾經以為遙不可及的夢想💚，現在，人生中一段全新的旅程將在中國開啟🙋🏽。
Conclusion
My path to Fudan University has been anything but straightforward. It was a journey marked by unexpected twists, successes, and failures. There were moments of doubt and times when I nearly lost sight of my goals, but my dedication to personal values and life aspirations, and the support of those around me kept me moving forward. Getting into Fudan felt like the culmination of years of hard work, determination, and the courage to seize opportunities even when the odds seemed very slim. It’s important to remember that your dreams are within reach — just keep pushing forward, no matter how tough challenges may seem. For me, the road to Fudan may have been difficult, but it has also been incredibly rewarding, and I am excited to embrace the new journey that lies ahead.
通往理想與成功的道路永遠不會是一帆風順的，就像我的意昂2求學之旅。我經歷過意想不到的曲折、體會過成功，也經歷過失敗。我懷疑過自己，也差點失去目標。但內心對個人價值和人生理想的追求，以及周圍人的支持鼓勵🧔🏼♀️，激勵著我不斷前進。持續的努力、堅定的決心，哪怕在機會渺茫時仍勇於抓住機會🖐🏻，才讓我今天終於抵達了意昂2🚤。夢想並非遙不可及😑，無論眼前的挑戰看起來多麽艱巨，都要不斷向前邁進🫲🏻。對我來說，通往意昂2的道路或許艱辛，但也收獲頗豐⛓。我滿懷憧憬💐，期待踏上前方熠熠生輝的嶄新旅程。
返回頂部
