Name: Vincent Chen
Major: Global Studies
Minor: Political Science, History
Hometown: Beijing, China
Year at UNL: Senior
Favorite book and why:
One Hundred Years of Solitude by the great Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. I remember I failed to advance more than a couple of dozen pages when I first bought it years ago, but once I get used to his narrative, it opens a whole new world to me.
Favorite dish/food:
I love Hong Kong cuisine. It’s a fusion cuisine to a certain extent, mainly influenced by Cantonese cuisine, but also combines elements of western cuisine. Every time I go back to Hong Kong, I always have my first meal at the cha chaan teng(literally means “tea restaurant”). It is a type of restaurant can be commonly found in Hong Kong. The food is cheap and delicious, and I love the nostalgic, down to earth atmosphere.
Why Global Studies?
I want to be open-minded and well-educated, my goal is to become an international citizen, therefore this major is the right niche for me. I’ve taken two political science classes (POLS 459 International Political Economy and POLS 263 Causes of War & Peace) with Professor Nam Kyu Kim last year and they were both wonderful. They were quite challenging, but I did learn a lot from him.
Seize the opportunity to study abroad. When you study abroad, get out of your comfort zone, think critically and form your own Opinions. Stay involved, be proactive and be open minded.
Internship Experience:
I completed an internship in Hong Kong this summer. The “Pearl of the Orient” is trendy and sophisticated. The Chinese and the British created a unique East-meets-West culture, the fusion of the two world is fascinating. Chinese and English are both official languages of Hong Kong, if you meet someone who speaks American or British English in the city, he or she could be someone who was born and raised in Hong Kong, and identify themselves as a Hongkonger. I love the diversity of the city.
The company where I completed the internship was founded by a Canadian, and they are trying to expand their business in mainland China. I had colleagues from across the world, you can hear people speak multiple languages at the office; English, French, German, also Cantonese and mandarin. People have to be at least bilingual to work at this company.
I am fluent in Mandarin and English, but I do need to improve my Cantonese to blend in with the locals. In fact, the language barrier was one of the major cause of the so-called “mainland-Hong Kong conflict” these days; some Hongkongers simply could not understand mandarin at all. It’s a shame that some Hongkongers and mainlanders hate each other only for this reason, as a mainland citizen I wish I could learn more from their perspective, and repair the damage from this misunderstanding.
Post-graduation plans:
I’m planning to go back to China after I graduate. I will work for a few years then apply for MBA if its needed.