Student Reflection by Renny Huang (C’28 W’28, Mandarin target)
This past summer, I took the decision to give my summer to Shanghai. I participated in NYU Shanghai’s 9-week Chinese Language Immersion Program. This program is made up of students from NYU New York, NYU Shanghai, as well as many students from colleges and universities across the US, like myself.
Initially, I took this program as an opportunity to visit China since I hadn’t been since I was 4 years old. However, as I arrived, I quickly realized that this program was much more than just a program. During my 9 weeks in Shanghai, I finally had the opportunity to discover China beyond my laptop screen. In doing so, I was able to improve my reading ability by being immersed in Chinese culture and day-to-day experiences. In my courses, I learned about various (and random) parts of Chinese history and culture that I’ve never known before. For example, did you know that China had a toilet revolution in 2015? The experience as a whole opened my eyes to all of the amazing things that China has to offer.
Beyond classes, the program also took us on many trips outside of Shanghai. We visited historical sites of cities like Suzhou and Nanxun Ancient Town. With the help of Huntsman Summer Funding, I even had the opportunity to visit Hengdian, the site where many Chinese dramas are filmed.
Penn’s Chinese courses were foundational to my summer in Shanghai. Before these classes, I couldn’t really read or interpret characters, oftentimes relying heavily on pinyin. After my first year of classes, I can now confidently navigate daily life in China, whether it may include talking to locals, ordering and using apps in full Mandarin, or just reading signs on the streets. In addition, discussions of politically relevant topics in my Huntsman first-year seminar enhanced my ability to grasp concepts like the Belt and Road Initiative when they appeared in the coursework.
This summer, I found that living in an environment that is culturally different from my own has led me to completely reorient my perspective. I am thankful for this experience as the exposure to different norms and innovations in China have trained me to look past familiar playbooks and adapt new solutions that may be inspired byChinese approaches when facing problems. As a result, this immersion has highlighted the importance of learning about new cultures and environments and how having this background can shape us into humans who are not only more open-minded but also ones who can think far outside the box.
I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to study in Shanghai this past summer and for the support of Huntsman Summer Funding. This summer, I made countless, unforgettable memories with lifelong friends from all over the world. I’m already counting down the days til I reunite with some of these friends and to visit China again. Until next time, Shanghai.
