Before I begin this speech, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to stand on this stage and address all of you today. It is your hard work and commitment to excellence that has made the planning, organization, and funding of this extraordinary experience possible. So, thank you for making my time at Shanghai Jiao Tong University unlike anything I've ever imagined.
For those I haven't had the pleasure of meeting in the past two weeks, my name is Sarah El Tahawi and like many of you, I am also an aspiring physicist. Unlike many of you, however, I've undertaken quite the journey to be in this remarkable city. I am Egyptian by birth, but my academic ambitions took me to the University of Heidelberg in Germany, where I recently completed my Bachelor's Degree. When I was approached about a physics summer school in Shanghai one thought ran through my head: “I'm really going stick out there, aren't I?”. Oddly enough, that only made me more eager to get on an 11-hour flight and study at one of the most renowned institutes for STEM - education, in Asia and in the world.
From the moment I landed until this very second, I have been met with nothing short of the most heartwarming hospitality and kindness. The university's efforts in coordinating our activities and providing support have been exemplary. The organizing team's guidance through the initial confusion of our new surroundings has demonstrated to us the true meaning of inclusion and cultural exchange. Moreover, they've curated a program packed with fascinating and eye-opening lectures, emphasizing practical applications that have shown us the heights our careers could reach. From delving into cutting-edge topics like quantum computing and astrophysics to exploring Quantum Field Theory, this curriculum has ignited a passion for academia and sparked enthusiasm among us that will endure long after we've said goodbye to this community.
Likewise, the Chinese students I have worked with on shared projects have been amazing intellectual partners, bringing diverse perspectives and enriching discussions with every new task and challenge. I am certain that I will leave Shanghai Jiao Tong University, more passionate, more curious, and readier than ever to continue my professional path in the field of physics.
I'd like also like to take a brief moment to talk about the wonderful group of international students I have grown quite close to during my stay in China. Through our shared experience navigating the bustling streets of Shanghai, the people who were strangers to me two weeks ago, are now the familiar faces I look forward to sharing a conversation with over breakfast every day. To my lovely group of internationals: we all came here from vastly different backgrounds, confused by the novelty of it all, but excited to pursue our common love for physics and exploring different cultures. Rushing from Lectures to malls, from restaurants to bars, I could not have asked for more enthusiastic and fun-loving partners to share this adventure with. Even in times when we felt swept up in the whirlwind of this metropolis, we stuck together and made this trip unforgettable.
In closing, I once again want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved—for your welcoming attitude, your dedication to science, and your friendship. This summer school and this city have been personally and professionally enriching and I will most certainly always look back on it with a great deal of fondness. Lastly I don't think there is a more appropriate way to finish this speech than by sincerely thanking both Shi Hui and Cathy, I think I speak for every single one of the internationals when I say you've been an amazing support system for us. If it hadn't been for you, some of us wouldn't have even made it out of the airport from day one, thank you!