Page 21 - UMP Issue167_final

Have you ever imagined living abroad, developing your career and family away from your homeland after
graduation? 2 alumni shared with us their experience and how their exchange experience changed their life.
Life Abroad Starts from
an Academic Exchange
It may be easy to twist your girlfriend's words (or your
boyfriend's arm). Have you ever "twisted" your own
academic career? I have. Thanks to my experience as
an exchange student, I went from a
Translation major at CUHK to a graduate
student in Economics. Incredible, isn't it?
Exhausted by science subjects such as
Physics and Pure Mathematics at high
school, I went on to major in Translation
and minor in Economics at CUHK. My
peers encouraged me to sign up for a
one-year exchange programme starting
from the fall of 2002. I counted myself lucky to receive
a scholarship to go to the University of British Columbia
(UBC) in Canada –– few schools offered scholarships for
exchange students at that time. After taking various upper-
level economics courses at UBC, I was inspired to pursue
graduate studies in Economics. I returned to UBC to do a
Master's degree in Economics, followed by a PhD at Duke
University in the United States. I recently landed a job as a
research analyst in the United Kingdom.
Spending a year abroad as an exchange student is an eye-
opening and life-changing experience, which enlightened
me to the world, to the countless possibilities the world has
to offer.
I went to University of California, Berkeley as an exchange
student in 2002. It was a fantastic opportunity to study at
one of the most prestigious universities
in the world. It was full of uncertainties
and difficulties at the beginning but I got
to meet wonderful friends from all over
the world, studied the subject that I love
(Film Studies) in the most mind-blowing
environment. Most importantly, I learnt to
be independent and realized that the world
is full of new challenges and opportunities.
After graduating from CUHK, I decided to continue my
journey and went to University of Edinburgh in Scotland
to study Film Studies. It was pity that I never made it to
the film industry since the competition is simply way too
fierce, but I stayed in the United Kingdom and worked
there, before meeting my future Swedish husband. I
continued my career in Europe and worked in international
enterprises before settling down in Sweden.
The exchange experience made me determined to live an
‘international life’ and work within the international context.
It was not always easy living abroad and I chose a path
that is probably slightly different from my friends in Hong
Kong.
So here I am, writing in my house with
my husband and our three cats. I am
able to speak Swedish (it is not an
easy language) finally after a few years
of learning! I am now working at the
International Office at Uppsala University,
one of the partner universities of CUHK. If
I was ever to be given the chance to go to
Berkeley as an exchange student again I would definitely
do so without hesitation!
I am grateful for the opportunity I got from CUHK and
would urge any of you to seize the opportunity to go
abroad!
During the year of exchange at UBC, I received rigorous
economics training and excellent mentoring from some
caring professors. My smart and diligent classmates
prompted me to work harder as well. I also
became independent and resilient when
moving to Vancouver by myself because
I had no relatives or friends there. I was
grateful for this experience when I later
moved to the US and then to the UK.
Moreover, interaction with students from
different countries helped me appreciate
and develop sensitivities towards cultural
differences, which undoubtedly facilitated
my collaboration with various colleagues later on. On the
whole, this year of exchange prepared me well for the twist
in my future academic career.
Are you courageous enough to take up the challenge
of positively twisting your own fate by joining CUHK's
exchange programmes? I look forward to reading your
stories in a few years’ time!
UC Berkeley - A Wonderful Start of My Life
A Twist of (Academic) Fate
20
CU SCOPE
UMP 大學廣場
APR 2013
Chris Chau (Graduate of 2005)
Jeremy Chiu (Graduate of 2004)