I am 19 years old and I am from Indonesia originally, but I have lived abroad for most of my life. I enjoy studying for my degree at SOAS especially since it corresponds to my interest for politics, the future job opportunities I'm interested in, and my interest for everything about my home region of South East Asia.

Expectations of the program:

This is a unique opportunity to gain new insights on Chinese culture and meet Chinese people who have a unique perspective on their home country!I hope to meet many cool people from China and around the world during this program. I was also interested in the courses that the program had to offer, especially the ones on Chinese cuisine and Chinese relations with the outside world, as they correspond to my hobby of cooking (and knowing about its relationship with society) and my studies as an International Relations student. I hope to learn a lot about China and have fun along the way!

I listen to all genres of music and love finding new artists so please do recommend any song you like! I also love dancing, reading, writing, talking, animals, daydreaming, and much much more.

Expectations of the program:

I'm very excited to start this summer program. I love meeting new people and sharing stories, thoughts and having good talks. Learning about cultural, political and economic aspects and how they shape certain views, motives and society interests me a lot so I am looking forward to all the different classes taught during the program. Chinese culture is so large and encompasses so many people and generations, I wish we could be in Shanghai to experience it with our own eyes.

I’m delighted to join this program and meet everyone coming from various countries. Nice to meet you!!

Expectations of the program:

I would like to join this program to acquire a broad perspective about Chinese history and culture. I have been to China many times and fortunately had many opportunities to interact with Chinese people, so it is definitely one of my favorite countries. However, since I had little occasions to learn about China academically, I felt I hardly know about its history and culture. I want to deepen my insight toward its unique and magnificent history through this fascinating program, and understand China based not only on my personal experience but also on academic knowledge.

I did my thesis on producing bioplastic from waste streams. In my spare time I enjoy going to the cinema and playing boardgames with friends.

Expectations of the program:

I have been interested in China for a while due to its fast economic growth and rise to power on the global stage. The belt and road initiative especially interests me as I’m very curious how this will influence the trade relationship between Europe and China. I hope that participating in this program allows me to get a better grasp on the Chinese culture and give me a small insight into China.

I have always had a great passion for other cultures and languages, in high school I learned eight languages and graduated in six languages, including Mandarin! Other hobbies of mine are speed skating, hockey, running and doing research in genealogy.

Expectations of the program:

I followed Chinese classes for four years in high school, but at a very basic level and last year I obtained HSK 1. I really enjoy learning the basics of Mandarin and learning about the Chinese culture. Multiple times, I celebrated Chinese New Year with festivities in the China-towns of Amsterdam and The Hague together with my friends, however, I do not know the meaning behind most of the rituals. Therefore, I would like to further my knowledge of the language (by self-study) and I hope the summer school will enrich me with a different, more native view of China and its interesting culture.

After graduating high school in Stockholm, Sweden I spent three months in Shanghai doing an internship. In Shanghai I also started learning Mandarin and finding fascination in Chinese culture.

Expectations of the program:
Ever since spending three months in Shanghai, I have been longing to go back and learn more about Chinese culture. I was fascinated by the language, the food and the country as a whole. I met many friendly people and enjoyed hearing about all the things that are different from my home country. But as I learn more about China, I realize how little I actually know. As I will hopefully be attending Peking University for a year starting this September, I think that the Summer Program will serve as perfect preparation. I am also excited to meet people with similar interests and fascination for China.

I am very passionate to learn about people, their hobbies, and all their goals. I aspire to work in an international NGO’s to fight for human rights and equality. I am also a strong feminist.

Expectations of the program:

I am Yasmina El Argoubi, I have always been fascinated with Chinese culture and language. I expect that through this program to discover deeper the Chinese culture and learn more about its history. I would like to also learn about the economy and technology prevailing there. I can’t wait to make new friends through this program and one day visit you in person.

My name is Yui Jessica Hasebe (You can call me Jess!). I’m so excited to be a part of this program and I look forward to having some fun, making some friends, and learning about Chinese culture. A fun fact about me: I have a twin sister who looks and sounds exactly like me!

Expectations of the program:

While learning Chinese in college, I have learned that it is crucial to have a basic understanding of its culture in order to be better at the language. My main goal for this program is to be able to better understand the uniqueness and differences of Chinese culture compared to my own. By participating in this program, I hope I will be able to make a larger contribution to the discussions about how Chinese culture impacted other parts of the world. I also hope to make some life-long friends in this program who can help and inspire each other academically.

I am keenly interested in literature, history, music, dance, film, drama, calligraphy… and always willing communicate and explore!

Expectations of the program:
The program can serve as a great platform for cross-cultural communication, building bridges between young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. I joined the program with the aims of both presenting the beauty of Chinese culture and expanding my horizon on other cultures. I am very anxious to see the exchange of different perspectives on Chinese culture and ready to make any possible contribution to this event.

I am an out-going person and I enjoy making friends and cooperating with others. I am also very patient and I can focus on my work for a long time. 

Expectations of the program:

I have been interested in learning about different cultures since my childhood and every time there is a culture program I will seize the opportunity to participate in it. In this program, I can meet foreign students from different cultures. By communicating with each other, I believe all of us can have a better knowledge about Chinese culture and other cultures. I hope I can make more friends from abroad and learn more about different cultures, especially our Chinese culture during the two-week program.

I am a great listener and team player. Most people think I am a shy girl after the first meeting, but once they get to know me better, they will find me very active and talkative. Looking forward to make friends with all of you!

Expectations of the program:

I am passionate about Chinese culture, including one of the traditional Chinese folk musical instrument - bamboo flute and the second most popular style of Chinese opera - Yue Opera. I see this summer program as a wonderful opportunity to share interesting Chinese stories with foreign friends, and hopefully, together we can discover something unique about Chinese culture. Besides, I am a curious learner and listener to the stories of people from different countries. Really looking forward to having fun with all of them!

I consider myself an open-minded and patient person, in which case any idea is welcome to share with me. Concerning hobbies, I am partial to feminist literature and movies, as well as Chinese classics. Hope to have a rewarding journey with you!

Expectations of the program:

I envisage accessing the firsthand experience of observing and promoting the interactive influence and merging of different cultures. The world is everchanging, and there is nothing definite. New values and systems for tackling future challenges only emerge in the collision of the old, so I hope to have some practice and a deeper understanding of it. Apart from that, I find in the essence of Chinese culture, there is something universal that deserves attention. I hope to explore this treasury with a multicultural view, which must differ from my usual recognition.