Summer School Shanghai: a month immersed in the Chinese legal system
Students Livia Draaisma and Max Raben set off this summer for a month in China to attend the Shanghai Summer School on Chinese Political and Legal Culture. 'The programme wasn't just about China, but offered a broader, international perspective.'
Why did you choose to take part in the Summer School?
Livia: 'I'd always had an affinity with China: my father worked in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and used to tell us stories about it at home. Through him, I also attended a few meetings at the Chinese embassy, where I was encouraged to visit China myself.'
Max: 'I saw the Summer School come up in the student newsletter and thought: why not? I'd have been mad not to at least give it a go. I'd already been in touch with someone who'd done the programme the previous year, who told me the level was manageable. It seemed like a great opportunity to discover China.'
How did the application process go?
Livia: 'I had to write a motivation letter and submit a transcript. I think they mainly looked at your motivation and perhaps your affinity with the country.'
Max: 'Initially, I wasn't offered a place straight away, but was put on the waiting list. I'd more or less written it off, until at the end of May I found an email that had accidentally ended up in my spam folder: I'd been offered a place after all. From that moment, everything had to be arranged quickly: I rang my parents straight away, booked flights the very next day and applied for my visa.'
What did the programme look like?
Max: 'The programme focused mainly on Chinese law and political culture, with around fifteen lectures. We had, for example, trade law from a Chinese perspective and a module on China's role within the World Trade Organization. There were also two lectures on Chinese criminal law and criminal procedure, with plenty of interactive discussion about how things work in other countries. We also had three Chinese language courses and calligraphy lessons.'
Livia: 'Alongside Chinese law, there was a lot of focus on knowledge-sharing: students gave presentations on their own legal systems, so you also learned from fellow students from countries like Australia and Ireland. So the programme wasn't just about China, but offered a broader, international perspective.'
What was the most surprising or educational moment for you?
Livia: 'Realising just how far ahead Chinese society already is in some respects. Major changes can be implemented there extremely quickly, such as the mass switch to electric cars or the rapid construction of tens of thousands of homes. This ties in with a different work ethic and social structure: people are strongly focused on achievement and hard work, in contrast to the Dutch emphasis on leisure time.'
Max: 'The most memorable moments for me were two trips we took in our spare time. The first was a hike through the mountains of Zhangjiajie: absolutely beautiful, and reportedly the inspiration for the landscape in the film Avatar. The second was a trip to Beijing, where we visited the Great Wall and Tiananmen Gate.'
How do you look back on this experience?
Max: 'I'll never forget this. I made some good friends and gained a completely different picture of everyday life in China, through talking to locals and experiencing the city.'
Livia: 'I look back on it very positively. The month really flew by, and I don't think I've ever been so sociable. You're around people the whole day and try to make the most of that one month. So it was pretty intense, but also a great opportunity to make the most of that short period.'
Would you recommend a study-abroad experience to other students?
Livia: 'Yes, definitely. It's a low-threshold experience where a lot is arranged and (partly) paid for you, such as accommodation and food. That makes it far less stressful than a regular exchange. It takes place during the summer holidays, so you can easily combine it with your studies without falling behind.'
Max: 'Absolutely, I used to wonder whether an exchange like this was really for me. But a month like that flies by. You don't always get a chance like this: as a student, you have the freedom to take on something like this, which becomes harder once you're working.'
Also interested in a summer school, exchange or other study-abroad experience? Read more about studying abroad and find out what the Office for International Education (Bureau Internationaal Onderwijs) can do for you!