The first students scheduled to attend New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai) this fall were present at a welcoming ceremony held on Monday.

The 295 students include 145 international students who registered on Sunday, three weeks before the scheduled start of the fall semester.

The three-week orientation period will give the students an opportunity to get to know each other and adapt to their new environment, said Ye Tiange, a freshman from east China's Zhejiang Province.

"I'm a little worried about the upcoming full-English course, considering the language level of the international students," Ye said.

The three-week orientation includes classes and activities intended to help the international students learn Chinese, as well as give Chinese students time to brush up on their English.

NYU Shanghai Chancellor Yu Lizhong said in a speech delivered at the ceremony that each student, no matter which country they come from, has his or her own edge that others can learn from.

"I hope all of you enjoy learning here and are ready for the hard work ahead," he said.

Chinese and international students will be mixed together in their dorms to help them adapt to cultural differences. They will stay at the East China Normal University campus before moving to NYU Shanghai's campus in the Pudong New District next year.

"Things so far seem very international. NYU Shanghai might be a good choice for Chinese students who want to study abroad," said Yu Dian, a freshman from central China's Henan Province.

As China's first Sino-U.S. university operating as an independent legal entity, the institution is jointly run by New York University and East China Normal University.