From Pasadena, CA

“There are several reasons why I would like to enroll in the Global Seminar in Beijing. I have studied Chinese throughout high school and am currently enrolled in Third Year Modern Chinese. My study of the Chinese language has always been motivated by a fundamental interest in Chinese history, culture and society. One issue that I am particularly interested in, for example, is China’s rapid economic development and its effects both on domestic society and also on China’s international role, particularly with respect to other developing areas such as Latin America and Africa. Despite these academic interests, I have never been able to fully integrate them with my language learning. Studying contemporary Chinese society in Beijing would present a perfect opportunity to do so, since it offers an opportunity to exercise my language skills by the simple fact of being in China while also studying these broader social questions in an immersed situation.”