All blog posts are by University of Michigan students who have participated in a CGIS program. The following blogs are students studying abroad in China.
Spring/Summer 2019
Dylan shares his experience of being a foreigner in China
During my time abroad I noticed that being a foreigner played a large role in the experiences I had. Many Chinese people regarded both me and my classmates with open arms and smiles mainly because we were foreigners. They would often ask about us like where are we from, why did we come to China, then random questions about the United States and our opinions on global matters (such as the current trade war). This was unique because I’ve never experienced anything quite like what I did in China, where people treated foreigners with respect and unhalting curiosity. In the United States, I feel like this is almost the opposite, which was why it was so interesting to experience going to China.
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Lucy discusses cross-cultural research and being a Chinese-American
Getting the chance to work with college students in a different country really opened my eyes to the importance of cross-cultural research. As a team, we were able to share valuable insights and perspectives, which led to the completion of a successful research project. Not only did I gain many useful teamwork skills, but I also learned how to troubleshoot various problems, such as language misunderstandings to technical challenges with the firewall.
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Jennifer talks identity in a cross-cultural setting
Although I had been to China in the past with my family, this class allowed me to experience China with a different perspective. Traveling with a group of students from the course has allowed me to have intellectual discussions with my peers. Additionally, collaborating with students from Beijing Normal University on educational psychology research strengthened my interpersonal and communication skills.
