Students of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) not only gain admission to prestigious universities for further study to deepen their understanding and address social issues, but also embark on career paths that explore the world of business. Four students are here to share their stories.
Chen Ziying is of the Department of Communication, and is admitted to University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University for her further study in journalism.
She chose UIC for its international environment and liberal arts education. The diverse courses and multicultural atmosphere enabled her to fully explore and develop herself. She believes that it provides an excellent platform to broaden students' horizons with elective courses, exchange programmes and more, helping her independently apply for overseas postgraduate programmes and yield ideal results.
Chen Ziying with friends during her exchange to Edinburgh
Chen hopes to become a tech journalist. She intends to leverage UC Berkeley's strength in East Asian Studies to deepen understanding in this area.
Zhou Ziqian, with a passion for English, is accepted by the University of Hong Kong for further study in English. He chose UIC's English Language and Literature Studies programme due to its international focus. During his studies, he actively participated in multiple competitions and won several awards and scholarships.
Under the teacher's guidance, Zhou engaged in corpus linguistics research, which resulted in publications accepted by an international journal and academic conferences.
Zhou Ziqian with Dr Malila Prado (middle) attending an academic conference at Xi'an Jiaotong University
These experiences sparked Zhou's interest in studying the English language further and laid the groundwork for future academic pursuits. He aims to specialize in language education potentially pursuing a PhD degree to become a university professor.
Huang Qingyun was accepted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to study international and social public policy after blossoming at UIC through four-year studies, research projects and overseas summer courses.
Every summer, she attended UIC's summer programmes, visiting Oxford University, LSE, and other institutions, studying issues on future cities, public policy, and international political economy.
In her second year, she published an article individually after attendingthe 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. With guidance from UIC's faculty, Huang credits UIC's liberal arts education for providing comprehensive development opportunities with emphasis on interdisciplinary learning.
Huang Qingyun with Associate Dean of FHSS Prof Zhao Xiaobin (first from right) and Dr Wu Shuang (first from left)
After studying in Media and Communication Studies for four years, Chen Keyu has secured an offer from L'Oréal.
Encouraged by the UIC's liberal arts education, he explored new fields, minoring in Applied Economics and taking business courses. He also interned in diverse industries such as Xiangtan Daily, NetEase and L'Oréal China. These experiences helped him identify his interest in creative marketing roles.
Despite receiving master's admission offers from renowned universities like University College London (UCL), he eventually decided to join L'Oréal China's management trainee program, aiming for excellence in the corporate world rather than academia. His rich internship experience and diversified skills set him apart among job seekers.
From MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia Yu
Photos provided by the interviewees
Editor: Deen He
