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Lu Sun - Shandong, China
MA Candidate (BC11) | Altiero Spinelli Fellowship by Compagnia di San Paolo recipient
A graduate fresh out of Peking University in Beijing with a double degree in International Relations and Economics, Lu Sun is spending her first year away from China in Italy at the SAIS Bologna Center.
Lu has high hopes of entering the private sector abroad in order to transform her ideas into reality in the business world. A strong combination of scholarship, a cohesive educational environment, and the attractive alumni network were strong considerations in Lu's decision to study at SAIS.
She chose the Bologna Center for its class size, diversity and the opportunity to live abroad in two different countries. "An advantage of studying here is that it has an impressive student-professor ratio compared to the other big schools."
Lu enjoys seeing an increasing number of Chinese classmates who've entered the program. "You can see that the admissions office seeks diversity. In the past there were barely any Chinese students. It's such a good program it should be better known China."
"I receive a lot of support from professors at the Bologna Center." This support is important for Lu who is rising to a new challenge of studying in a different language. "I've never wrestled with this much material in English before."
Diversity and class debate have been important parts of the learning process. "Many of my classmates already have substantial work experience and I'm learning a lot from them," she says. "For example, in my corporate finance group of five people, we come from five countries and there are no communication barriers," she says, grinning as she explains that study groups have allowed them to go to each other's houses to try out their respective cuisines.
Lu likes the fact that in Bologna she has the possibility to befriend students at the University of Bologna but still has a tight university campus at SAIS to come back to. "I know when we look back twenty years from now we're going to be glad we got the chance to live in Europe," she says.
Degree: Peking University, Beijing
Major: International Relations and Economics
Languages: Mandarin, English
SAIS area of concentration: Energy, Resources and Environment
Other interests: environmental policy, finance, consulting
By Bianca Silva
M.A. Candidate (BC11)
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