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My name is Mathilde Hardouin, and I am a second year Poli-Sci and East Asian studies honors student. I aspire to work in diplomacy in East-Asia which is why I put a huge emphasis in my studies on learning languages and understanding cultures. As such, since a very young age, I have been attracted to China’s rich and fascinating history and culture, leading me to start learning Mandarin at age 11. After years of classes, my desire to visit China was intense, but the occasion never presented itself: between the costs of traveling, the hurdle of finding a time when travel would be possible and the pandemic, being able to actually set foot there seemed more and more unlikely. Luckily, at the start of my second year in McGill, it was announced that LKS Initiative’s intensive Chinese language and Advanced Research program at Shantou University was to be launched in-person again, after being interrupted/held online during the pandemic.

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The program had many promises for me. As it was funded, I did not have to worry about the cost of traveling and staying a month in China. It also offered the peace of mind to be within a community of fellow students and have a support system far from home, in this completely novel environment. I took this opportunity very seriously: as I was to go as an advanced research student, I wanted to make sure to be up to par, especially when it came to my ability to understand native content in books and native-speed discussions. With this in mind, I prepared myself thoroughly before the trip: I worked on my mandarin regularly in the months leading up to May, and made sure I had a well laid-out plan for my research. In hindsight, this preparation truly allowed me to make the most of my time in Shantou, and this opportunity materialized, for me, as the result of my dedication to learning Mandarin. My goals for this program were to successfully conduct my research, to be able to be independent in China, to put myself out there, to create connections with local people, and finally, to get a sense of China, outside of the narratives that are constructed by other states and media. This last goal is very important to me in the long run, with my hope to work in diplomacy in the region. Participating in the program exceeded all my expectations! I made life-long friendships not only with members of the cohort, but with students at STU, which made the overall experience so much better: when one of us was sick, tired, sad, or on the contrary, excited or successful, we always had each other for support and celebration. The LKS program put humanity at its center. Even as I wasn’t part of the language classes, I had many opportunities to banter with STU TAs, particularly around meals and everyday discussions. The TAs and teachers were truly fantastic, always eager to share their interests with us, happy to help us, to make us visit and to hear about our experiences. The people involved in the program made it so successful and unforgettable.

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As a research student, some of the highlights of the program were the freedom and independence I had, while still being very included in the cohort. For example, I needed to visit specific places in Shantou for my research, but I was initially intimidated to go alone, especially taking public transports in China for the first time. I was able to familiarize myself with the system alongside my fellow research students: our independence allowed us to spend time with and support each other in the first few days, before we all got more comfortable navigating on our own. Being independent meant for me to work at my own pace, to be able to discover new parts of the city and meet new people while being able to share those experiences with others if I wanted to and get support if I needed. This possibility to share with others was not reduced only to fellow research students, as I was able to meet my friends in the language classes every day for lunch, or in specific activity classes like calligraphy and paper cutting classes. Besides, the adaptability of the TAs allowed us to share some afternoons and evenings together in the city. Furthermore, I was not expecting the week-end excursions to be so enriching: staying a month in Shantou would have already been fantastic, but being able to visit different regions every week made our stay in China even more memorable. My favorite excursion was to XiaMen and Guolangyu island, because it was a very different environment from Shantou. Discovering different cultures, gastronomies, languages and landscapes within China was extremely educational and deepened my understanding of the diversity of China.

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