My gateway to the Chinese business world opened thanks to the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program (CCSEP) scholarship opportunity in China.
Dr. Louis Guay, my supervisor from Université Laval, encouraged me to become an exchange student in order to broaden my scope in the field of study. I chose the CCSEP because it provides established extensive academic contacts with universities. Before going to China, I was unfamiliar with the situation of my research subject (Chinese companies). Conducting a preliminary study has played a crucial role in my research project design.
This first field trip has helped me achieve goals:
- It satisfied the aim of screening project ideas and determining if there are any insurmountable obstacles.
- I have developed a more holistic understanding of how Chinese firms deploy strategies to respond to environmental issues, whether as a response to external pressures or as a proactive measure to mitigate their environmental impact.
- Becoming familiar with these firms has enabled me ask the right questions and define hypothesis.
- Finally, this experience helped me select appropriate data-gathering methods and redefine sampling criteria.
The exchange program is contributing to my overall career objectives as well. It was my first opportunity to connect with the Chinese research community. Dr. Yongzhang Zhou, the Director of the Research Center for Earth Environment & Resources at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) has provided me with supportive and creative guidance. Moreover, he invited me to join his research team to study issues on climate change and introduced me to many different people so that I could build up my professional network. Furthermore, the team has offered me continuous assistance in data collection. My pilot studies were made possible because of the gracious and friendly support from researchers, staff and students.
I have enjoyed my student life at SYSU. There is a general feeling of safety and the cafeterias provide low-cost healthy and nutritious food. International students like me have easy access to enrich their intercultural experience and appreciate local culture thanks to diverse cultural and leisure activities organized by the foreign student office.
My experiences at SYSU have been amazing and most of the memorable experiences have been a result of being on a team at the Center for Earth Environment & Resources. I would recommend the CCSEP scholarship opportunity for any Canadian who wants to expand their Chinese professional network and their general awareness of the country, it’s history, people and culture.