If you could study at any uni in China...

[Shadowdh]

Which one would it be...?? I may have the opportunity to go to any uni I choose... I would like to go to one which has the best teaching of course... but also one that offers more perhaps... so if you had the choice (full scholarship and all that) which would you choose..

[venture160]

dongbei of course! probably some city in Heilongjiang besides Harbin, Jiamusi, QiQiHaer, Mudanjjiang. Smaller cities, but I GUARANTEE you will learn far more chinese than you would anywhere else. Also, the accent is great.

[Lindsay]

I think you should ask yourself where your interests lie and what you want to major in. What are your career goals?

People will probably disagree with me but if I had any pick of the schools, I'd go for the "brand name" ones like Beida and Tsinghua. Beijing University, if you're looking to major within liberal arts and Tsinghua University for hardcore engineer/math. I've always heard Tsinghua is like the MIT of china so if you like engineering, go for it! A side note, the president of Tsinghua came to talk at my school and he was the most gregarious man I have met in a while.

So, as shallow and displeasing as this sounds, people/employers are impressed by the big names. Especially if you want to enter really competitive career fields (not sure what they are in China), a good name will get you places. Even if you take your degree to other countries, people will know Tsinghua and there's an automatic affiliation of prestige and intelligence once you drop that name.

[Shadowdh]

Bit of background re career etc... I would ideally like to work with an agency that works within the international community as I am completing a Masters in International Security and Global Governance. I would like to combine this with my Chinese degree (and some Russian which I had been studying on my own and will have to study again when I get more time next year) so get into a career that I like rather than one I have to do. A uni with a good name is a good idea. But more important is good teaching... this is just a long shot at the moment but I might be able to go for a year or more likely if I go at all it will be for a shorter time, but at the moment its a bit of a pipe dream...

[Lu]

Beida, because it's supposed to be the best in its field, and I'm interested in that field. And I like Beijing.

[Lorean]

What is your level of Chinese?

[wushijiao]

As far as learning the language, yeah, I'd go with a place up in Dongbei, as venture says.

But if you are interested in doing something with International Security or Global Governance, as Lindsay says, go with a big name. Famous scholars, famous world politicians, major conferences and other events seem to be concentrated in just a few universities in China. If you go to Beida or Fudan, you will be able to make some good contacts.

[Shadowdh]

Thanks for the responses... It fives me food for thought... at the moment its a bit of a pipe dream as circumstances probably mean I wont get to go but if I do.... look out.

This trip would be all about learning Chinese... the International Security stuff would be done in the UK... probably before I go.. looks like I have some thinking to do... cheers

[Shadowdh]

Lorean... at the moment its about lower intermediate or just above, by the time I go it should be about upper intermediate or more...

[Xiao Kui]

at the moment its a bit of a pipe dream as circumstances probably mean I wont get to go

Maybe I'm insensitive or unimaginative, but the only circumstances that i can think of preventing people from coming to China are family circumstances in your home country make it impossible: spouse with a career based at home or sick or disabled family members that one has to care for.

I'm sure there are others, but if it's just a practical or financial hindrance i think you can find away - anyway, it's hardly a pipe dream.

[Shadowdh]

Maybe I'm insensitive or unimaginative, but the only circumstances that i can think of preventing people from coming to China are family circumstances in your home country make it impossible: spouse with a career based at home or sick or disabled family members that one has to care for.

I'm sure there are others, but if it's just a practical or financial hindrance i think you can find away - anyway, it's hardly a pipe dream.

You are neither insensitive nor are you unimaginative, just right on the money... it would appear after some discussion with the wife it may appear that I will be able to go.... I just need to do some more investigation into timings, sorting out the kids etc... but there is a glimmer... it is certainly neither financial (sorted) but the practicalities do pose a bit of a quandry... however after discussion (mentioned previously) they do seem to fading... I have every one of my extremities crossed in the hope it will indeed work out... If I do go though it looks like I will look at somewhere like Beida and Fudan, shallow as it may seem I think careerwise the prestige would be good...

[Xiao Kui]

it would appear after some discussion with the wife it may appear that I will be able to go

Yes, having a family makes it more difficult, and if you can't take them with you, you have to at least have their blessing. I hope your plans work out for you!

[adrianlondon]

if you can't take them with you, you have to at least have their blessing

... and a willingness to leave them behind, and live apart.

[Shadowdh]

And miss the hell out of the kids... its a big decision and has many logistical problems but in the long run it is going be very worth it... it does head toward our goal but it wont be easy... but then the worthwhile things never are... sigh... if only...

[zarathustra]

Anyone happen to know how difficult it is to get into grad school? I'm going to BeiDa with the hope that after a few years of Chinese, I can get into grad school. For my major (Chinese Philosophy), it is the best school (always ranked in top 5, recently top 1 or 2) so I'm not sure how competative it is. How many people really study it or is it difficult to get in?

The first part, a HSK score of 9, is enough work already.

[venture160]

honestly, I don't know whats the deal with the HSK entrance exams.... I was admitted into the Graduate school at BeiDa, RenDa and Qinghua, and I didn't have to take the HSK entrance exams, nor did they even bring it up. All they seemed to care about is if I could pay the tuition or not.

[zarathustra]

That's good to know. Still I imagine my Chinese level should be close to HSK 9 if I'm even able to keep up and understand the courses.

So it seems like the admissions weren't a problem? No other tests, good under grad grades or anything? Sounds good.

[Lindsay]

Zara- What piqued your interest in chinese philosophy? I've always admired the philo majors at my university because I personally admire the works of Voltaire and Nietzsche but then again, what can you do after you get a bachelors degree in philosophy?

I always say this to my friends, if I had a chance to go back and re-do college, I'd major in philosophy and stroll around campus all day. If only I had more time and were less ambitious of working on Wall Street, I'd be a philosophy major too. We are all great philosophers at heart.

[zarathustra]

Exactly, we are all great philosophers. Who doesn't want to spend more time understanding people or life?

As for a major, certainly philo majors usually do extremely well in law school. I think you get some pretty good thinking skills that help you with everything. Being able to understand yourself better is worth the time isn't it?

I became interested in philo a long time ago, before college. At uni, I studied philo and psychology. After many years of working, I decided I need to go back. Just have too many questions about life that I can't ignore. Gotta spend my full time studying them.

What will I do afterwards? I hope to teach philosophy. We'll see how that goes. I think it would be cool to be a prof at BeDa. Not sure if that's possible for a non-Chinese citizen. All the real cultural stuff and the big variety in Chinese thought (that we don't normally see in tradition), I think goes on in Beijing.

As for what made me decide to finally go back, I was reading some studies of China unlike anything I've seen before. Sinology in the west has a strong French slant. And the Frenchies that have studied China are really really fascinating. It was enought to make me say, that's what I gotta do.

For the real reason why people like philosophy, what makes people become really interested in psychology? Same type of thing. As Nietzsche says, it's a question of yourself. It's completely personal.

Whenever you get to Beijing, we can go out and grab some coffee or something.