"To be a useful citizen of the world, help Changsha and China in every way I can."

——Tang Jie

Profile of Changsha Expats

Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Nigerian

Chinese name: Tang Jie

Identity: Professor and doctoral supervisor in the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Hunan University

Residency duration in Changsha: Six years

Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, whose Chinese name is Tang Jie, is a foreign professor at Hunan University from Nigeria. He loves playing football, which is a popular sport in his hometown. During his spare time, Tang Jie and his teammates usually compete in football skills with alumni associations from other provinces. "Our Hunan University Football Association often seizes the gold medal!" he says.

"Football comes second." What Tang Jie loves most is doing research. As a distinguished professor and doctoral supervisor in the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Hunan University, putting on the laboratory coat to conduct experiments is the most familiar action for him. He also expresses his aspiration to be a useful citizen of the world who helps Changsha and China through his research endeavors.

AN AFRICAN COMES FROM AFAR

"Welcome! Let's chat as we stroll," Tang Jie greets the reporters in fluent Mandarin upon exiting his car, which bears a license plate of Changsha City. He then proceeds to guide us on a tour of the different attractions at Hunan University. If it weren't for his distinct appearance, you would not be easy to believe he is an African.

The story between Tang Jie and Changsha began in 2010 when he was a postgraduate student in Guilin. "I learned that Chairman Mao, the late Chinese leader, once lived and worked in Changsha," he noted. With the longing for this bigwig, Tang Jie came to Changsha City. As he strolled from Yuelu Academy to Dongfanghong Square, capturing numerous photos along the way, he was deeply impressed by the city rich in revolutionary history. "Back then, I made up my mind that if there was a possibility, I'd definitely come to Changsha again," Tang Jie said.

Even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations. At the end of 2017, after obtaining a doctoral degree in physical chemistry from Sun Yat-sen University, Tang Jie headed for Changsha to participate in the Yuelu Forum hosted by Hunan University. The genuine invitation extended by Changsha perfectly aligned with his aspirations. Consequently, he decided to be employed by Hunan University following the forum.

The university has provided Tang Jie with strong support in various aspects, including salary, housing, scientific research funds, and experimental laboratories, to help him integrate into the new environment better. Furthermore, Tang Jie's laboratory, located in the Tian-ma Experimental Building, has been completed in less than six months. "It is particularly gratifying to do research in Changsha," states Tang Jie, emphasizing the support he received from the government and the university to facilitate connections with emerging high-tech enterprises to expedite the implementation of his scientific research outcomes. "I don't have to concern myself with how to bring my scientific research results to market. It allows me to devote myself more fully to scientific research," Tang Jie says.

ACCESSIBLE HAPPINESS IS EVERYWHERE IN CHANGSHA

Tang Jie has become a "fruitful" supervisor at Hunan University with students everywhere. He expresses his deep satisfaction with his present life, attributing it to the presence of many universities at the foot of Yuelu Mountain and to working with creative and energetic students to tackle key challenges, which makes him feel like the young. "Changsha is undoubtedly a city brimming with vitality," Tang Jie emphasizes.

In the winter vacation of 2019, Tang Jie completed one semester's worth of work and returned to Nigeria to reunite with his family. When he came back to Changsha again, his wife and two children also followed him to settle in the city. "Changsha brings me with a strong sense of security. The accessibility of education, medical care, and infrastructure is unparalleled." Tang Jie used the word "security" when describing his life in Changsha. Everything in the city now has been an essential part of Tang Jie's life in an imperceptible yet formative manner. Changsha has become his comfort zone.

On the first day of the Spring Festival in 2023, Tang Jie visited his friends to celebrate the New Year as the locals. "My friends had carefully cooked 12 dishes for me, adorning the entire table. Each dish symbolized wishes for our prosperity, career promotion, and good fortune in the coming year..." he shared the heartwarming experience and thought it gave his family a deeper understanding of Spring Festival culture.

"Now, my kids can speak not only Mandarin but also Changsha dialect!" Tang Jie adds. He further mentioned that he and his family had fully adapted to life in Changsha and had become deeply integrated into this vibrant and hot city.

"I like taking my friends to visit Yuelu Academy the most. As one of the oldest academies in the world, it offers a unique and enriching experience for visitors. Many people come to travel for the Yuelu Mountain, while I can visit it at any time throughout the year," Tang Jie speaks highly of such easily accessible things that bring him happiness. Last year, he became one of Hunan’s first batch of special overseas correspondents. He aspires to help more people read the genuine and remarkable stories of Changsha, Hunan, and China through his efforts. 

OPEN CHANGSHA HAS A PROMISING FUTURE

During his 6-year tenure in Changsha, Tang Jie has observed significant changes taking place around him: more convenient transportation, a growing population, and the increasing renown of this "Internet-famous City.""Changsha is a city on the rapid rise. It embodies youth and opportunity. The open Changsha has a bright future!" he concludes.

Despite the geographical distance between African countries and Changsha, their friendship has strengthened over the past decades. The exchanges in various domains, such as foreign economy and trade, cultural industries, medical care, and education, have become increasingly intimate. On June 13, China-Africa Economic and Trade Headquarters Building, the only Sino-African economic landmark project in Hunan, was officially launched in Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone, contributing as a bridge for fostering friendship between Africa and Changsha.

In fact, more and more African friends around Tang Jie have opted for Changsha in recent years. "The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, which permanently settled in Hunan, and the exchanges and cooperation at all levels between China and Africa have allowed me, an African, to see the connection between my hometown and Changsha," Tang Jie believes that this bond will be increasingly intimate.

Tang Jie once attended a job fair for international students in Hunan, where he witnessed nearly 50 international students successfully signing contracts on the spot. In his views, China's rapid growth has made it more attractive to global talents. Changsha is also actively extending sincere invitations to the world through practical actions. In 2023, the One-stop Service Center in the Changsha area of China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone for Foreigners Working in China handled 1,548 cases, marking a year-on-year increase of 117% and achieving a satisfaction rate of 100%.

Nowadays, Tang Jie often recommends Changsha to his friends and relatives in Africa, hoping to enable more people to understand this hospitable and welcoming China-Africa cooperation highland. "I hope more overseas talents come to China for their entrepreneurship and innovations, and join the large team to help promote the high-quality development of Changsha," he appeals.

"Today in Changsha, full heart in Changsha," Tang Jie says. He is currently in the process of applying for his "green card (the permanent residence ID card for foreign experts)" in Changsha. This foreign professor exudes strong confidence and optimism for Changsha’s future development and the well-being of his family and himself.

Source: Changsha Evening News