The virtues of joining one of the youngest universities in the world

选择全球最年轻大学之一就读的优势

The oldest universities in the world have been around for centuries; their halls wandered by thousands, each in pursuit of their academic dreams.

世界上最古老的大学已存在数百年之久；成千上万的人曾漫步于其殿堂，追寻各自的学术梦想。

It’s not too different of a feeling, though, when you’re in one of the youngest universities instead.

然而，当您身处一所最年轻的大学时，那种感觉并无太大不同。

Places like Nanyang Technological University (since 1981) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (since 1991) have made it into the top 50 of the QS World University Rankings 2025 — proof of their determination and resolution to deliver quality education.

诸如南洋理工大学（成立于1981年）和香港科技大学（成立于1991年）等学府，已跻身2025年QS世界大学排名前50位——这证明了它们提供优质教育的决心与信念。

It’s part of the reasons why Lilijana Abrell chose to study at Tetr College of Business, a school established in 2024.

这也正是莉莉安娜·阿布雷尔选择就读特特商学院的部分原因，该校成立于2024年。

Tetr is a global educational institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Management and Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Liberal Arts. Abrell is enrolled in the Bachelor’s in Management and Technology.

特特是一所全球性教育机构，提供管理与技术、人工智能及人文学科的本科与研究生课程。阿布雷尔目前就读于管理与技术学士学位项目。

In this programme, and the others available at the school, studying abroad is taken to a whole new level.

在该项目以及该校其他项目中，海外留学体验被提升至全新境界。

In four years, students get to live and learn in seven different countries — Dubai, India, Singapore, Ghana, the US, Argentina, and France.

四年间，学生将在七个不同国家——迪拜、印度、新加坡、加纳、美国、阿根廷和法国——生活与学习。

“I’m in my second semester, and we’re in India right now,” Abrell shares. “For my first semester, we were in Dubai. It’s exciting, and I’m living my dream.”

“我现在是第二学期，目前我们在印度，”阿布雷尔分享道，“第一学期我们是在迪拜度过的。这很令人兴奋，我正在实现我的梦想。”

Born and raised in Germany, all Abrell wanted to do was travel. While she had the opportunity to do so with her high school orchestra, it wasn’t enough; she wanted to go beyond the European borders.

阿布雷尔在德国出生长大，她唯一想做的就是旅行。虽然她曾有机会随高中管弦乐团出行，但这远远不够；她渴望跨越欧洲的边界。

“I have a passion for travelling. I love experiencing new places and meeting new people. After graduating from high school, that was all I wanted to do,” she says.

“我热爱旅行。我喜欢体验新的地方，结识新的人。高中毕业后，这就是我想做的一切，”她说。

And Tetr is giving her just that.

而特特恰恰满足了她的愿望。

Better yet, Abrell was learning how to build businesses in each country she’d been to.

更棒的是，阿布雷尔正在学习如何在所到的每个国家创立企业。

In Dubai, she co-founded Visioglass, a business selling smart glasses, selling over 40 to 50 glasses daily. Today, in India, she co-founded a (K)notcultured, a premium streetwear brand, alongside five other students.

在迪拜，她联合创办了销售智能眼镜的企业Visioglass，每天售出40至50副眼镜。如今在印度，她又与其他五名学生共同创立了高端街头服饰品牌(K)notcultured。

We caught up with Abrell to talk about her experience at Tetr College of Business and what it’s like being part of the institute’s first-ever batch of students.

我们采访了阿布雷尔，请她谈谈在特特商学院的经历，以及作为该校首届学生的感受。

Why did you choose Tetr College of Business, one of the youngest universities in the world? How has your experience been?

您为何选择特特商学院——这所全球最年轻的大学之一？您的体验如何？

My parents and I weren’t exactly happy with the traditional education system during high school because of its theoretical nature. While it was beneficial, I could never apply what I learnt.

我和父母对高中阶段的传统教育体系并不完全满意，因为它过于偏重理论。虽然这有好处，但我始终无法应用所学知识。

I decided to take Tetr’s practical route. Unlike traditional universities, you’ll get to build businesses beyond the classroom, and there are no actual exams — meaning no finals weeks.

我决定选择特特这条实践之路。与传统大学不同，在这里您有机会在课堂之外创建企业，而且没有真正的考试——意味着没有期末考试周。

Another bonus is that I get to try something new in seven different countries. I get to live my dreams by travelling the world.

另一个好处是，我能在七个不同的国家尝试新事物。通过环游世界，我实现了自己的梦想。

My experience so far has been tremendous and positive. However, because this is a new programme, there’s still a lot to figure out, and we’re constantly seeking feedback from the faculty.

迄今为止，我的体验非常棒且积极。不过，由于这是一个新项目，仍有许多方面需要摸索，我们也在不断向教师团队寻求反馈。

I’ve learnt a lot about running a business, both in and out of the classroom. I have also been exposed to teamwork in different environmental and cultural settings, which I think is unique. Our programme includes over 45 nationalities, and it’s crazy that I get to see how businesses are run from 45 different cultural viewpoints.

我学到了很多关于企业运营的知识，无论是在课堂内外。我还体验了不同环境和文化背景下的团队合作，我认为这很独特。我们的项目汇聚了超过45个国籍的学生，能让我从45种不同的文化视角观察企业运营，这简直不可思议。

Again, because it’s a new programme, some things might not work out as planned, but it’s working great so far.

同样因为是新项目，有些事情可能不如计划顺利，但到目前为止进展顺利。

What inspired you to study Business Management and Technology?

是什么促使您选择学习管理与技术？

It’s a funny story because the decision to pursue a BS in Business Management and Technology was spontaneous.

这是个有趣的故事，因为我攻读管理与技术理学士的决定是一时兴起。

I’m from an art background. I used to be in pre-professional music education back in high school. I played in orchestras and travelled the world to perform.

我来自艺术背景。高中时我曾接受职业预备音乐教育，在管弦乐团演奏并周游世界进行演出。

When I graduated last year, my parents wanted me to study, but I wanted to travel. I then saw an ad for Tetr on Instagram and realised that this was the best of both worlds for my parents and me.

去年毕业后，父母希望我继续学业，而我只想去旅行。后来我在Instagram上看到了特特的广告，意识到这对我父母和我来说是两全其美的选择。

However, the only programmes they had were business programmes, so that’s what I went with. I applied and got accepted.

然而，他们当时只有商科项目，所以我选择了这个方向。我申请并被录取了。

Although I had no business experience, I did come up with a couple of business ideas involving green architecture when I was 14. The programme is related to sustainability and urban planning, which interests me, so I decided to pursue it.

尽管我没有任何商业经验，但14岁时确实萌生过几个涉及绿色建筑的商业点子。该项目与可持续发展和城市规划相关，这让我很感兴趣，因此我决定攻读。

Aren’t you worried about attending a newer school instead of one that’s been around longer?

选择一所如此新的学校，而不是历史更悠久的学府，您不担心吗？

Sure, I mean, that’s always a concern because I’m still just 18 years old.

当然担心，我的意思是，这总是个顾虑，毕竟我才18岁。

I told myself, “Okay, let’s do this degree programme and see how it goes after a year.” I might even realise that this is not what I’m looking for. Even if it is not for me, I can still say that I gained a lot of experience, and I got to meet and network with people worldwide is incredible.

我告诉自己：“好吧，先读这个学位项目，看看一年后的情况如何。”我甚至可能发现这并不是我想要的。即使不适合我，我仍然可以说我获得了丰富的经验，并且能与世界各地的人见面并建立人脉，这本身就不可思议。

However, there’s one thing that lessens the fear of attending one of the youngest universities in the world. At the end of the four-year programme, I will receive a degree from Middlesex University in the UK. Since Tetr is newly established, it collaborates with Middlesex.

不过，有一点减轻了我入读全球最年轻大学之一的担忧：在四年项目结束时，我将获得英国密德萨斯大学的学位。由于特特是新成立的，它与密德萨斯大学有合作关系。

Even in India, where Tetr was founded, not everyone knows it. While that may disadvantage others, I think it’s a good thing. The beauty of it is that we can define what Tetr stands for.

即使在特特创立的印度，也并非所有人都知道它。虽然这对他人可能是个劣势，但我认为这是件好事。其美妙之处在于，我们可以定义特特所代表的意义。

I value experiences rather than sitting behind a desk. We also have faculty members from top universities, such as Harvard, who give us a lot of positive feedback and even offer to write us letters of recommendation.

我珍视亲身经历，而非枯坐书斋。我们还有来自哈佛等顶尖大学的教师，他们给予我们很多积极的反馈，甚至主动提出为我们写推荐信。

It’s been a positive experience so far.

到目前为止，这是一段积极的经历。

How has Tetr shaped your worldview and career goals?

特特如何塑造了您的世界观和职业目标？

Being part of Tetr has allowed me to tackle global challenges and gain firsthand experience working across borders. With global classmates to studying in seven countries, we must constantly collaborate across time zones and cultures, which is no easy task.

成为特特的一员让我得以应对全球性挑战，并获得跨国工作的第一手经验。从拥有全球背景的同学到在七国学习，我们必须不断跨越时区与文化进行协作，这绝非易事。

In business, understanding global markets is essential, and the best way to do that is through direct, on-the-ground experience. That’s why the travel and cultural immersion that Tetr provides is so valuable — it equips us with the knowledge and adaptability needed to build successful businesses.

在商业领域，理解全球市场至关重要，而最佳途径就是通过直接的实地经验。这就是为什么特特提供的旅行和文化沉浸如此宝贵——它赋予我们建立成功企业所需的知识和适应能力。

What’s been the most surprising or rewarding part of launching businesses while still in school?

在校期间创业，最令您惊讶或最有收获的部分是什么？

I always try to see things positively, even when things don’t go as planned.

即使事情不如预期，我也总是努力从积极面看待。

For example, when we had to build a dropshipping business, it didn’t work out how we wanted it to. I still focused on the positives, however, like I learned about teamwork and collaboration.

例如，当我们尝试建立代发货业务时，结果并不理想。但我仍然专注于积极方面，比如我学到了团队合作与协作。

However, one thing that surprised me about dropshipping was how much easier it became to make money when we adjusted our product offerings and refined our strategy. Looking back, I think taking the step earlier — being more flexible and willing to take risks — would have made a big difference.

然而，在代发货方面，有一点令我惊讶：当我们调整产品供应并优化策略后，赚钱变得容易得多。回顾过去，我认为更早采取行动——更灵活、更愿意承担风险——本可以带来巨大改变。

The teamwork was another surprising thing for me.

团队合作是另一个让我惊讶的方面。

When team members argue constantly or have conflicting visions for the business, it becomes almost impossible to move forward. If there’s no alignment, you might as well not even start.

当团队成员不断争执或对企业愿景存在分歧时，几乎寸步难行。如果无法达成一致，不如趁早放弃。

I’ve seen how stubbornness, resistance to feedback, and personal conflicts can slow everything down. The real work isn’t just about executing tasks; it’s about communication, finding common ground, and maintaining productive conversations.

我目睹了固执己见、拒绝接受反馈以及个人冲突如何拖慢整个进程。真正的工作不仅仅是执行任务；它关乎沟通、寻求共同点和保持富有成效的对话。

That, by far, has been my biggest learning.

迄今为止，这是我最大的收获。