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Anna Woods Image outside John Hopkins UniI began the Chinese programme with the second year papers as I had taken Chinese and French for my five years at high school - and was very impressed by the Otago students who had caught up after only a year's study, which is a testament to the quality of the language programme and instruction.

As well as continuing my studies in the Chinese language, I also greatly appreciated and grew from the culture papers that were compulsory in my major. I learned about Chinese civilisation, modern literature, cinema and popular cultures - all providing a very necessary context and frame of reference to my language studies.

Studying Chinese at Otago presented me with standout moments: in a literature paper, while discussing a short story set during the Cultural Revolution, my lecturer began to discuss her own experiences at that time as a student sent to the countryside. Another was when a video conference was arranged with the makers of a recently made Chinese documentary, so the students could ask them questions about the documentary and learn about the filmmakers experience.

I found my Chinese studies to be complementary to my other major of Economics. In assignments I frequently encountered crossovers, from incorporating economic concepts into Chinese essays, or evaluating NZ's free trade agreement with China with a more nuanced understanding of the latter.

After graduation, I received the Prime Minister's Scholarship to Asia to fully fund postgraduate study to China. During the six months in between finishing at Otago and starting in China, I worked at a translation company in Christchurch. Using Chinese in a professional role for the first time was stimulating, and I greatly enjoyed this role. It also heightened my awareness of the significance of Chinese for New Zealand businesses, as a highly sought after language translating in both directions.

In September, I begin study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in Nanjing, China, which is a joint initiative run by Johns Hopkins University (based in the USA) and Nanjing University. Following a year's study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, I will go to Washington DC to spend a second year, coming out with my Master of Arts in China Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University. I was also awarded a significant fellowship from Johns Hopkins University.

Following the attainment of my MA, I hope to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a foreign policy officer. Studying Chinese has truly provided me with a wealth of opportunities that I am positive will ensure my working life will be filled with varied and fascinating challenges.

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