"Ni hao!" greets Iskandar Ikrami, the owner of the Mazza Coffee shops in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. He is one of the thousands of Tajik citizens who have studied in China and returned back home to work.
Over three thousand students from Tajikistan are currently studying in China. Many, like Iskandar, return home to use their knowledge and experience from China in the workforce in Tajikistan.
Iskandar says he chose to study in China because he thought it would be a rich cultural experience. He says he "discovered that there are a lot of opportunities even between Tajikistan and China", so he chose to go to Beijing and "learn their language, and their culture".
Iskandar Ikrami by Miguel Angel Sanchez /CGTN Photo
When he returned to Dushanbe, Iskandar wanted to create an atmosphere of cultural exchange within his coffee shops. At the café, there is a small bookshelf for customers to freely drop and take books as they like. Many young Tajiks gather at this coffee shop not only to socialize but to work as well.
One of the two branches of Iskandar's coffee shop is called Mazza gallery. There, the artists are allowed to exhibit their work for free and the art is sold to customers without any commission for the café, all in the name of supporting young artists.
Farangis Isamova, who also studied in the Chinese city of Dalian, says she was most impressed with the attitude of Chinese citizens towards foreigners. She says she would "really advise people to study as a student in China. It is an incredibly friendly country. If you compare it with the US or Europe, Chinese people love foreigners so much, they want to meet you, to speak with you." Farangis said Chinese people made her feel like a star as a foreigner.
Iskandar Ikrami in Beijing /CGTN Photo
As business cooperation between the two countries increases, many Chinese corporations are opting to open offices in Tajikistan. Tajiks who studied in China, like Farangis and Iskandar, who have experienced the culture and have learned the language find it opens doors for them during their future employment in Tajikistan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly called on people-to-people exchanges and education is a key part of that. The topic is one to be focused on by leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that are coming together for a council meeting in Dushanbe on October 12-13.