Beatrice ROMANO

Student of La Trobe University, Australia
Exchange to Tongji University, China

Living and studying in Shanghai for one semester is one of the experiences I cherish the most in my life. This opportunity would not have been possible without the support of the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards for which I am extremely grateful for.

I am a Bachelor of Commerce student. Going on exchange at Tongji University helped me to develop the particular skillset that fits for Asia and knowledge about the Chinese market and economy. Aside from the Mandarin course that helped me to survive in everyday life, I took subjects that focused on business and innovation such as Project Management in China, Entrepreneurship and Operations Management in China. The unit that I found the most insightful was E-Commerce in China, I was also able to apply the theories and concepts through (way too many) Taobao and Ele.me purchases!

I met a lot of locals and made friends with people from all around the world, with whom I am still in touch. I always travelled in small groups, having companions on 13+ hour-long hard-seat overnight train is definitely a life saver! The huge variety of landscape as well as the well-preserved nature of China fascinated me. I visited Beijing, Shanhaiguan, Xi'an, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Yangshuo, Harbin, Yunnan region and Hong Kong. I could write paragraphs on each of them, the common point though is that each place was unique in its own way.

Shanghai is vibrant, fast-paced and is always moving forward. Wechat pay and Alipay were the norm, it is also common practice for riding Mobike and Ofo to the closest metro station for a train which arrives approximately every three minutes. I found communication sometimes an issue, however body language and the occasional "ting bu dong" (meaning "I don't understand") can always help. Food was incredible, not one time in six months I cooked at home!

Thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards, this opportunity made me develop a new attitude towards life as I now feel like a global citizen. I can definitely say it was an enriching experience. I have been presented with opportunities that I would not have been exposed to should I not have decided to leave my comfort zone, go and experience China.

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