“I’ve learned how to run a lab—how to organize the people, work with the researchers, do the meetings and run the projects,” he says. “It gives me insight into my future career.”

He’s also impressed by the assistance he has received from SFU staffers, ranging from help with his visa documents to accessing student and library services.

The University’s multicultural student body was a surprise, he says, and he enjoyed meeting students from across Canada and around the world. “B.C. is a great place to study, and the U-pass makes travel around the city easy and free.”

He was surprised to find that students may talk in the library, and that the campus is open around the clock. “Students here are generally a little more relaxed compared to students in Hong Kong,” he says. “The work and student culture in Hong Kong is really busy. Here, people tend to enjoy their weekends.”

Riaz, who returns to Hong Kong at the end of August, must complete one more year of study to earn his degree. He then plans to apply to universities around the world to study for a master’s and a PhD.