hat do international teachers think of Shanghai? I interviewed two British teachers, Dr. Toni Hong and Dr. Emmanuele Lazzara, at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).

Dr. Hong came to Shanghai numerous times when he was a postgraduate and a doctoral candidate at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo. After that, he came to be a teacher at SISU in October 2020. Dr. Hong opines that Shanghai is culturally diverse, modernized, and inclusive. Shanghai people are more open-minded and accept foreigners without bias. As an international metropolis, Shanghai boasts unique economy, politics, and culture. Shanghai also features a good mix of international cultures, which is challenging to come across in other cities. Dr. Hong remarks that Shanghai is his favorite city in China.

“Compared with Beijing, Shanghai is more cosmopolitan and has a much better ecological environment. Compared with people in Ningbo and other small cities, Shanghainese are better cultivated and more civilized,” Dr. Hong said.

Dr. Emmanuele Lazzara came to Shanghai in 2009 for the very first time, he has stayed in Shanghai for almost three years over the last decade. Endearingly, we often call him Mani for short. Shanghai is also Mani’s favorite city in China due to its combination of charm, modernity, international atmosphere, and convenience. In Shanghai, he can go back in time and encounter old customs like shoe shining and street food difficult to stumble upon in the UK. He made the observation that compared with a decade ago, Shanghai has changed a lot: high-rises are everywhere, the economy is more developed, and people live at a faster pace.

“This is a confident city, a city with a great future,” he exclaimed during the interview. Mani is enthusiastic about the city’s future.