“No matter where you are, the essence of Shenzhen culture becomes a part of you,” says Nael Hailemariam (Ethiopia), a Tsinghua SIGS alumnus who majored in Data Science and Information Technology and brought the spirit of Shenzhen back to Ethiopia with the connections forged through the #BeltandRoad Initiatives to get #TsinghuaInAction.

During his time at SIGS, Nael acquired the skills to transform ideas into prototypes and combined his engineering background with management and leadership. His internship at Tencent focused on game design and digital payments in Africa, further sparking his interest in introducing the advantages of online payment infrastructure to Ethiopia.

In 2020, Nael and his partner, Israel Goytom, founded Chapa, a company that enables Ethiopian businesses to accept digital payments worldwide. Their visionary outlook includes leveraging the potential of the #BRI to expand its operations throughout East Africa and the entire continent.