Tungamirai Eric Mupona, known in Chinese as Milai, has spent the past eight years studying in Hangzhou, from undergraduate studies to a PhD.

Fluent in Mandarin, the 26-year-old scholar from Zimbabwe says a Chinese saying best captures his experience: "Seeing is believing."

After arriving in Hangzhou in 2017 to study at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Milai became interested in China-Zimbabwe education cooperation and was impressed by the city's openness. From volunteering around West Lake to immersing himself in local life, he quickly found a sense of belonging in a city that blends history with modern vitality.

His research focuses on China's development, particularly rural vitalization in Zhejiang. Through fieldwork in villages, he observed how digital tools and e-commerce have transformed agriculture and rural incomes — insights he now shares with African scholars. In 2023, he invited Zimbabwean researchers to Zhejiang to study China's rural modernization firsthand.

Now researching China-Africa economic cooperation, Milai is also active in people-to-people exchange and media dialogue. He says Hangzhou's digital economy and global outlook have shaped his vision of development back home.

Calling Hangzhou a place that turns knowledge into lived experience, Milai hopes to continue serving as a bridge between China and Africa — proving that true understanding begins by walking the ground yourself.