For Liyun Zhu, education is more than just academics—it’s about connection, empathy, and understanding. Originating from a city near Shanghai, Liyun came to the UK 12 years ago to pursue her own studies. Today, she resides in Durham, where she has transformed her experiences into a personal tutoring service aimed at supporting Chinese students who, like her, faced the challenge of mastering English as a second language.
Liyun’s journey as a mentor is rooted in personal experience. Having navigated the complexities of adapting to a new culture, language, and education system, she understands the unique challenges her students encounter. Her business offers more than just academic instruction; Liyun sees her role as nurturing and caring, focusing not only on knowledge but also on emotional well-being. “The key,” she explains, “is to nurture my students, helping them gain confidence in their language abilities and adapt to their new environment.”
During her PhD studies, she provided tutoring services to university students, receiving highly positive feedback. Before embarking on her PhD, Liyun honed her teaching skills by tutoring high school students. Her work was met with positive feedback, affirming her natural ability as an educator. Liyun describes her role as “rewarding,” and she believes her work is especially impactful because she includes soft skills in her curriculum, preparing her students not only academically but socially and professionally.
Her dedication to continual learning led her to FIRST’s courses in enterprise and customer ready, where she completed Level 1 in Understanding Enterprise and Level 2 in Customer-Ready. She found these courses inspiring and valuable, both for the knowledge gained and the sense of community they created . “Everyone brings their own experiences,” she says, “and it was a mentally supportive environment that helped me manage my anxiety and grow my confidence.”
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