From Snowy Mountains to Islands of Dreams: My Lingnan Journey
Alima Nur Begimbaeva | Kyrgyzstan | Year 4 Student | Data Science
The beginnings
Arriving in Hong Kong in mid-August 2022, during COVID limitations, I traded Kyrgyzstan's vast snow-covered mountains and dry climate for Hong Kong's skyscrapers and humidity.
As one of few Kyrgyz students, I felt pressured to represent my nation and people, while craving international friends for new perspectives. Early challenges like homesickness faded more or less, even though they still greet me now and then, as I represented my culture at events, sharing Kyrgyz traditions with other students, while learning about theirs. While Lingnan’s Liberal arts freedom let me combine Data Science with Environmental Literacy right away.
Experiencing differences and people
I’ve always been curious, maybe too curious. One of my favourite quotes is “I want to be disgustingly overeducated.” I have always wanted to know everything, a great gift from my parents, from watching quantum physics lectures when I was 14 to reading philosophy books at 18. Which is why, I think Lingnan was a great fit for me. It allowed me to combine my logical side that wanted to learn Data Science to solve real world problems, with my social side that yearned for philosophy, creative writing, and arts.
Not only that but also get a minor in Environmental and Scientific Literacy. Taking courses like Acting, Machine Learning, and Philosophy, I also got to meet life-long friends from Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, the Netherlands, and France. My exchange semester in Korea was also one of the most significant parts of my journey. With the support of Lingnan I got to meet old friends, make new ones while learning the language, culture and growing as a person.
Transformational internships
In my second year, SCI3008 led to my game-changing internship at Soap Cycling NGO - earning minor credits while inputting, cleaning, and visualizing data. It was my first internship experience where I got to experience the interviews selection process and establishing goals. During that semester I got to get hands on experience with data, handling their database, while working with minorities, elderly, and youth with disabilities who helped immerse me in local culture. I got to meet and work with people, with whom it would not have been as easy to meet in an academic environment.
Additionally, I got to leverage this experience for my Service-Learning project, which was to raise awareness on challenges of elderly in Hong Kong, a passion topic of mine. At the moment, at Campus X, as Tech and STEM Analyst, I am teaching robotics and programming to kids, honing practical skills. These roles taught me Hong Kong's heartbeat beyond campus walls.
First entrepreneurial journeys
Another one of my passion project is CantoNet. Growing up in Turkey, living in Kyrgyzstan, and knowing 5 languages, I have always felt an immense respect for cultures and need for languages. Which is where CantoNet’s appeal for myself appeared, a project where language, culture and community are combined. Starting as an Intern, I was initially interested in experimenting with real data while learning languages (as I am very passionate about them). I got to use tools like NocoDB and pandas, ensuring smooth operations while learning Cantonese through chats with locals and international students hooked on HK culture.
Now, I am part of the permanent team, building its database from scratch, leading the tech team, and optimizing data flows for efficiency. I am learning my 6th and 7th languages, while expanding my skills. It's bootstrapped grit, Kyrgyz-style, in Hong Kong's startup scene.
Looking into the future
Graduating June 2026, I'm eyeing data scientist roles in Hong Kong: emailing firms to learn, trying my best to master Cantonese, and tackle environmental tech solutions. From cultural ambassador to tech leader, Lingnan has transformed me and give me all the ammo needed to thrive not only as a student, but as an individual in our society. Now, I am aiming to absorb most of HK's energy before bringing skills back to Kyrgyzstan in the future.
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Last updated: September 2, 2026