“When I joined the programme. I thought it was amazing,” said Baizhou. “I believe we were the very first group of people who really have benefited from it.”
Of everything Baizhou learned during his three years as an Urban Scholar, the element which had the biggest impact was critical thinking – the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas.
“That really got me to rethink how I look at things and how I plan things out. And I believe that played a big part in my professional career – it really got us to think outside the box and from all kinds of angles.”
Using the skills learned during the programme, Baizhou now runs three business – an architectural design service, a property development company, which is backed by foreign investors, and an events company which specialises in working with the Royal Family on major events.
“What I learned from this programme is that you have to take the extra step, to move outside of your comfort zone to do things other people wouldn’t do.”
Such was the impact on the programme, Baizhou now visits schools to inspire the next generation to fulfil their potential.
But he admits it’s often challenging to raise the aspirations of young people.
“I’ve spoken in quite a few schools, and it’s quite difficult to tell a 12-year-old young person, what’s going to happen in 5 to 10 years if you do this and that, when they have all their friends around them, and all they do is enjoy what they’ve got in front of them.
“It’s very difficult for somebody that young to realise the opportunity they are being given.
“They need a lot of external force to guide them towards taking up these opportunities, which will make a difference in their future lives.
“I believe good teachers are key to this. You really must meet the right teacher who will appreciate you, encourage you and really push you out of your comfort zone to make a change.
“And I think I’m lucky that I’ve come by a teacher like that, because when I got into the programme, I’d just come to the country, I could barely speak fluent English.
“For some reason they’ve seen that potential in me, and he pushed me and said ‘apply for this’.
“If that motivation does not come from the family, you need it from the school – you need that point of contact, who’s got the passion to push young people forward. I think that’s really important.
“The programme really shaped me. People often say to me that I’m so lucky, my life has gone so smoothly, but if I hadn’t been put forward for the Urban Scholars programme, I wouldn’t have been exposed to the so-called professional world, or higher education.