Fan SHI

Student of Fudan University, China
Exchange to Bond University, Australia

Hi, my name is Shi Fan and I'm a law student from Fudan Law School. As one of the top law schools in China, Fudan Law School provides multiple academic exchange programs for students. Thanks to the mutual agreement between Fudan Law School and Bond University as well as support from the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Award, I have been on exchange at Bond University since January 2016.

Exchange overseas has been on my to-do-list ever since I entered university. In my opinion, the difference between study abroad and travel abroad is that when studying in a different country, you will regard yourself as a local resident not only a tourist. For me, Australia has always been an attractive country to explore. It is one single country in an independent continent with the diverse species of animals and the magnificent natural scenery.

Being a law student in Bond University Faculty of Law is full of fun and stress. There are three semesters in one academic year in Bond University which means one semester only lasts for three and a half months. Short semester however, does not represent less course loads. I'm now undertaking three subjects at Bond, which are Australian Legal System, The Principles of Contractual Liabilities and Dispute Resolution. Despite the intensive course of Dispute Resolution, I have two seminars, two lectures and two tutorials each week. Beyond the time in classes, I have to do a lot of readings so the library is the place where I spend most of my time. Australia has a completely different legal system than China, I'm very grateful to have those excellent academies in Bond Faculty of Law to help me get through all the difficulties and to show me the beauty of common law system. This exchange experience supplements my knowledge of law, which allows me to have a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of law.

As I stated previously, study is not everything for an exchange student. I live in a share house with an Australian family and another Chinese student. Through the past three months, they have become my family. My family showed me around the city and took me to the famous beaches when I first arrived. It is their hospitality that makes me feel I'm more than a short term exchange student but an actual part of the Australian society. One of the most amazing characters of Australia is the nice people here. I will never forget that every night when I leave the library, the lovely librarian will say "Good Night sweetheart" to me. Because of the busy life as a law student, I haven't done much interstate travelling in Australia yet but I have spent 4 wonderful days in Melbourne which is now my favorite Australian city. I plan to visit more parts of Australian after the semester and I'm sure that there will be so many surprises waiting for me.

The exchange in Australia will definitely become one of the most remarkable experiences in my life. I will like to express my sincerest gratitude to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Award for the generous funding which makes my exchange more valuable.

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