Zilin Zhang, left, with wife Ting Li, their daughter Diana and rescue cat.
Zilin Zhang and Ting Li are delighted to be graduating in person in Dunedin this August from Otago’s Chinese language Online Master of Business Administration (CMBA).
“We have been eagerly looking forward to attending the graduation ceremony this month in Dunedin! This has been our biggest aspiration since we began applying for the programme,” says Zhang.
“We started planning for this special event several months in advance. Apart from the graduation ceremony, we have also arranged to take wedding photos in Christchurch,” adds Li.
Zhang and Li are both part of the inaugural cohort of Otago’s CMBA in 2020, a programme which is delivered online to students in China.
The couple first met in Beijing at the orientation for the programme and found their academic journey was accompanied by a deepening connection that evolved into a romantic relationship.
The couple was married in June 2021 and welcomed their daughter Diana in January 2022.
Speaking about what drew them to the CMBA, Li says “as an arts student with a strong musical background, I wanted to enhance my overall skills and abilities. Otago's MBA programme seemed like the perfect fit, offering a diverse range of subjects that I had never been exposed to before.”
Mr Zhang’s career had been focused on international cultural and educational exchanges prior to the pandemic, and it was during a visit by a delegation from Otago to Beijing marking Otago’s 150th Anniversary that he learned about the CMBA programme, and the opportunities it could open up for him.
“I now work as a data product operator at Jingdong, which is often referred to as JD.com. It’s one of the largest and most well-known e-commerce companies in China, and I am responsible for self-owned data product planning and risk control,” says Zhang.
Li meanwhile, has worked for more than 10 years as a Senior Creative Producer at Perfect World, a major Chinese video game developer and publisher.
“I have been a music enthusiast since childhood, and my passion for music has only grown over the years,” she says.
“But I came to realise that who I am is an ongoing exploration that requires constant attention. This realisation intensified my desire to pursue further education. As I continued in the CMBA programme, my excitement grew, and I became even more eager to experience the impact of globalisation and cross-cultural communication.”
Highlights of the CMBA for the couple included the diverse participants who came from a wide range of backgrounds - from hydrogen energy experts, finance directors of technology companies, and executive directors of startups to executives of foreign companies.
“With such varied professional experiences, the project work became a platform for creative ideas and inspiring discussions,” says Zhang.
“Another highlight was the Leadership paper taught by Tobias Demker. He encouraged each of us to apply the models and theories we learned to our own work or life and share our insights in class.”
There were some challenges too, along the way. Time management was vital as the couple faced the added responsibilities of pregnancy and parenthood, especially for Li.
“Balancing work, study, and my new role as a parent became an immense struggle and I often found myself staying up late at night, taking advantage of the quiet hours when my baby was asleep, to complete the papers and assignments” she says.
“The experience taught me valuable lessons in multitasking, resilience, and adaptability, which have proven to be invaluable assets in both my personal and professional life.”
Reflecting on his first impression of Li, Zhang recalls her introduction to the CMBA class group where she revealed she was a dedicated workout enthusiast and had lifted weights for many years.
“She proudly introduced her cat too, which had been a stray before being rescued after being injured in a car accident, and she had nursed it back to health.
“Her introduction left a lasting impression on me, as I could see she was as a person with perseverance and compassion.”
As for the future, the couple say they hope to bring their daughter to New Zealand when she is older. They also want to experience sheep shearing and participate in environmental conservation volunteering activities as a family.
“This way, we aim to instil in her a love for life and a deep respect for nature from a young age”, says Zhang.
They are also looking forward to another project. “We are renovating our little home in Yanjiao, which is close to Beijing, where we moved after our daughter was born. It has been nearly a year of discussions about the style, layout, materials, and more, and we are especially excited to see how it will look” says Li.
-Kōrero by Sally Knox, Communications Adviser, Otago Business School
With special thanks to Diana Duan, Client Services Administrator, Executive Programmes, Otago Business School, for translating this interview.