When I first arrived at Taiyuan University of Technology more than six years ago, I was a young man from Bangladesh carrying a suitcase, a dream and the values my father had instilled in me.

My father has long been active in the Communist Party of Bangladesh, and in our home, discussions about justice, equality and working people were part of everyday life. Those conversations shaped my earliest understanding of society.

My decision to come to China was practical at first. I wanted to learn from the country's achievements in infrastructure, power generation and technology. What I found, however, went far beyond technical knowledge, reshaping both my academic path and worldview.

During my first year, a professor recommended Xi Jinping: The Governance of China.

I opened the book expecting formal political theory, but found a work that spoke to questions I had carried since childhood: What does it mean for development to serve the people? How can a country protect its independence while opening to the world? How can political ideals improve people's daily lives?

What struck me first was the emphasis on putting people first. In Bangladesh, I had often thought about obstacles facing developing countries: foreign interference, inequality, local elites and weak long-term planning.

President Xi's writings helped me see that national development cannot be reduced to economic growth alone. It requires clear vision, strong institutions, social stability and commitment to improving lives.

The idea of building a community with a shared future for humanity also moved me deeply.

Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate change, although it has contributed very little to global carbon emissions. For people from countries like mine, international cooperation is not an abstract slogan; it is a question of survival, dignity and justice.

President Xi's call for mutual respect and shared benefit gave me hope, a spirit I also saw in educational exchanges, friendships and development cooperation.

The more I read, the more I understood that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era represents a living application of Marxism.

My father taught me that Marxism is not a fixed dogma, but a method for understanding society and guiding action. In The Governance of China, I saw that method applied to the 21st century: innovation and stability, opening up and cultural confidence, environmental protection, national rejuvenation and global responsibility.

Living in China allowed me to connect these ideas with real experience. I have visited communities where public services have improved people's lives. I have spoken with people in Shanxi who remember harder times and describe changes in daily life. These experiences helped me understand development not as a statistic, but as something visible in ordinary lives.

President Xi's discussion of poverty alleviation also affected me deeply. In Bangladesh, despite progress, many people still face hardship. Learning how China lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty changed my understanding of what is possible.

What impressed me was not only the scale, but also the method: targeted policies, mobilization, measurable goals and a determination that no group should be forgotten. It showed me that poverty is not inevitable when political will, organization and people-centered policy work together.

My experience at Taiyuan University of Technology has reinforced these lessons. In renewable energy systems and power grid integration, I have come to see engineering not only as a technical discipline but also as a contribution to development and human well-being. The book helped me connect my research with a larger question: how knowledge can serve the people.

It has also helped me understand my identity more clearly. As a Bangladeshi communist studying in China, I once felt I stood between different worlds. Now I see that position as a responsibility. The vision of a community with a shared future for humanity teaches me that my education is not for personal advancement, but for preparation to contribute to my country and strengthen friendship among peoples.

The Governance of China has been an important guide in my transformation.

When I return to Bangladesh, I will carry more than a doctorate. I will carry the lessons I learned from China: that development must be people-centered, that independence and cooperation can strengthen each other, and that theory becomes meaningful when it improves real lives.

My father gave me my first introduction to communism. China has shown me how those ideals can be practiced in the modern world.

Written by Riyadzh Mahmudh, a PhD candidate from Bangladesh in the College of Electrical and Power Engineering at Taiyuan University of Technology. His research focuses on the evolving landscape of highvoltage engineering and power electronics.