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PKU Scholar Say: Taking on a Journey towards Reaching Our Goals
Education is a beacon of hope for those who wish to create positive changes in their lives and make lasting impacts on the world. As a leading university and innovative research institute, Peking University (PKU) offers equal opportunities to every bright mind who has the courage to dream big, overcome unforeseeable challenges and achieve greatness.
On registration day for international students, we spoke to 5 bright individuals who have notable academic achievements under their belts and are expanding their ambitions by coming to PKU to deepen their knowledge and develop professional skills.
Let’s hear what all 5 international students have to say about their next goals in life and what they wish to achieve at PKU!
ALEXANDRA POZHIDAEVA
Russia Journalism and Communication, Master's School of Journalism and Communication
As a graduate of China’s Southeast University, Alexandra is beginning a journey as a master’s student in journalism and communication in hopes of contributing to the cultural exchange between China and Russia one day.
“Diverse” is the word that came to Alexandra’s mind when she first arrived at PKU.
When asked about what she was looking forward to the most, she said: “[I am excited] to meet my dear fellow students and lecturers, get on with my studies as soon as possible, participate in possible international conventions, and enjoy campus life.”
Despite facing obstacles during her application process, she was determined to come to PKU and has finally achieved her goal.“Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, graduates of this year face many new challenges. Firstly, the whole application process was postponed for months and that certainly affected my graduation plans and thesis writing. In addition, the second round of the application process was changed to the online exam which was new for me and I did not get the chance to meet our professors in person. I am very grateful to the teaching and administrative staff at the School of Journalism and Communications and the International Students Division, who have facilitated my journey to Peking University. Each phone call I got, and each email exchanged between the staff members and me, gave me the feeling of real warmth from them.”
“This year, the whole world is encountering an arduous test. In the fight against COVID-19, the Chinese government and the people of China have made enormous efforts and have gained victory. As I have been in Beijing throughout the pandemic, I’ve had a chance to observe and understand all the measures and decisions that were made by Chinese government, and I fully agree that the right approach towards tackling global crises and realizing long-term development is through greater connectivity, openness and inclusiveness. It is all about international cooperation.”
“I am about to begin a new academic discipline, so I wish to put effort into learning how I can expand my horizons. I am also excited about the opportunity to conduct my research, participate in forums, and exchange opinions with my lecturers, whom I am looking forward to meeting."
“Last year was the sixth year of the establishment of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the 70th Anniversary of China-Russia relations. The relations between our countries have progressed from being peaceful neighbours to companions, and we have now begun strategic cooperation. Looking ahead, I hope to contribute to the cultural exchange and the development of relations between China and Russia.”
TATIANA ALIKANOVA
Russia
International Education Development, PhD
Graduate School of Education
With a solid background in teaching in both Russia and China, Tatiana joins the Graduate School of Education at PKU to pursue her PhD in international education development.
"[PKU is my] dream university," said Tatiana when asked about her first impression of PKU. She is looking forward to studying and prioritising her research, as she has been working for many years and has forgotten how being a student feels like.
Tatiana has taught at secondary schools in both Russia and China. She taught at a senior high school for years in Yulin, China’s Shanxi Province, prior to her arrival at Peking University. While working, she had always wanted to come back to Beijing, the first city which she lived in when she first moved to China. 10 years later, she has finally made her way back to Beijing as a PhD candidate in international education development at Peking University. According to her, she feels happy and excited to be admitted to PKU because it was a long process, but she has succeeded at last.
Tatiana wishes to utilize the knowledge acquired through her research to contribute to society in the future.“My PhD research project will be connected to educational innovation at Hi-Tech zones in China, as well as to various institutions in developing countries, which might be helpful for the national and international development of education with regard to global issues.”
“In the future, I intend to work at governmental organizations and Hi-Tech zone companies that advocate for international education collaboration and development.”
THEO STAPLETON
United Kingdom
China Studies in Law and Society, Master’s
Yenching Academy
Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Australia, Theo has spent 5 years in China and had graduated from PKU’s School of Chinese as a Second Language. His next step is to conduct his master’s research at the Yenching Academy.
Having been a Pekinger for years, Theo has had good experiences at PKU.
As a Yenching Scholar, his priority is studying and reading lots of books. “I hope to write a good thesis and build on previous work I have done. I also wish to continue to do a lot of fieldwork, and work towards a PhD, which is my main goal.”
When asked if the pandemic will pose challenges to conducting fieldwork, Theo said: “I recently completed my master’s in Contemporary China Studies at Oxford University and my fieldwork was actually done both online and offline, yet that worked really well. I think online fieldwork or online ethnography is an emerging field that is really important and perhaps even has advantages over offline fieldwork. However, I think that offline fieldwork can be done easily in Beijing and throughout China. All of the organizations that I have worked with have now pretty much returned to normal. There are still limitations, but it is both a challenge and an opportunity, in my opinion.”
After completing his master’s degree at Yenching Academy, Theo plans to pursue a PhD and might become a faculty member at a university.
SAPARGELDI AMANGELDIYEV
Turkmenistan
Energy and Resources Engineering, PHD
College of Engineering
As a graduate of the China University of Petroleum, Sapargeldi was recommended to PKU’s College of Engineering for his PhD research.
Upon the completion of his enrolment process, his first words were: "[This is a] great honor."
Learning the Chinese language is a challenge for Sapargeldi, however, his immense interest in the language has greatly eased the difficulties faced by him.
When asked about what he wished to achieve, he said: “I hope to improve myself in every way and have a career in the field of energy sources, using analytical and problem-solving skills to tackle the impact of energy sources on our environment. I believe that living and studying at PKU can help me achieve this goal. I also plan to do a post-doctorate after my PhD so that I can deepen my understanding in the area of energy and resources engineering.”
GREGOR OBREZ
Slovenia
International Relations, PhD
School of International Studies
After completing his education at Beijing Language and Culture University, Gregor will be conducting his PhD research in the same field, namely international studies at PKU School of International Studies. He hopes that the knowledge he has learned will contribute to diplomacy and the development of education.
“Smooth” is the word given by Gregor to describe his impression of PKU, and he wishes to adapt to the new environment at PKU as soon as possible. Before arriving at PKU, he thought that registration day would be a day packed with new students and the registration procedure would take some time, but the reality was the opposite of what he had expected.
Gregor wishes to conduct research which involves the concept of nationalism and national identity, with a case study of the European Union and Eastern European countries. In the future, he hopes to land a job in the fields of diplomacy and education.
source:official account of Peking University |
