Yu Huai Zhang, from China, was the winner of the 2007 International Student of the Year award. The 24-year-old undergraduate talks about his time as a management student in the UK.

When Chinese student Yu Huai Zhang set off on the journey of a lifetime in 2003, he was determined his adventure would further his ambition to become just like his great hero - the entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson.

The 6,000-mile trip to the UK was the first time he'd ventured far from his home in the Bao An district of Shen Zhen - a city of around six million people in the south of China near the border with Hong Kong - and his family. He knew he faced a 'totally new world' and readily admits he was excited and yet apprehensive for the personal and social challenges that lay ahead. But his experiences over the last four years as a management student at Queen's University Belfast, in Northern Ireland, have given Yu Huai the confidence to achieve his ambitions and here, he gives his account of his time as an international student in the UK.

'My decision to come to the UK to study has paved my way to a bright future and allowed me the chance to shine.

'From the very first week I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by the university, the other students and the local community. I found my first-ever part time job, which not only gave the opportunity to socialise with other students, but also helped transform me into an outgoing and confident young man.

'The change in me was so overwhelming, that I decided to re-name myself - and I'm now known as Neo, which is Greek for 'new'. My new name expresses my determination to open a new era in my life.

'I chose to come to the UK because of its outstanding academic history - I wanted to broaden my horizons and immerse myself in many different cultures. It's a very different learning experience here because people are pro-active and enthusiastic. Students are encouraged to free their mind and think for themselves, take up new challenges and work on their own initiative. This approach has distinct advantages for me - it motivates me and encourages my creativity. And the lecturers are so well learned and accommodating.

'The UK is much quieter than China, and the people are more relaxed. I have become very independent and developed my English via vigorous, brilliant social life.

'I've been amazed at how many different opportunities are open to me here at Queen's. I gained the highest number of votes in history when I ran for Chairman of International Students' Committee in the Students' Union and have been organising events, writing in the university's newspaper, presenting a talk-show on Queen's radio and getting involved in volunteer work, which has allowed me to help improve quality of life for other people. I really hope I can do my utmost to make a better life for others!

'There are also plenty of opportunities for work experience, and through my internship in the civil service, I have been able to encourage internationalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship - subjects really close to my heart.

'After I graduate, I want to further my studies as a postgraduate in the UK, before returning to China. I want to be an entrepreneur, just like Sir Richard Branson. And I feel that my experiences in the UK - both academically and socially - will help me achieve my ambitions and help me to contribute to my country's prosperity.'