Shao Chenhan is a UIC student from the Class of 2020. After graduating from UIC, she obtained her master's degree from Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Later, she is admitted to the doctoral programme of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a full scholarship.
Shao Chenhan at UIC
Attracted by UIC's liberal arts education and internationalisation, she chose to become a student of the Government and International Relations (now known as Globalisation and Development) Programme at UIC after graduating from high school in 2016.
The four-year study life has broadened her eyesight and anchored her future research focus. Shao said that UIC's rigorous teaching style, diverse environment, highly intensive academic training, and abundant networking opportunities greatly improve her language skills and psychological quality.
By attending diverse school activities such as overseas Summer Programmes, international student conferences, Semester Exchange and Study Abroad Programmes and taking internships, she mastered the basic rules and skills for academic research while witnessing the diversity of the world and the complexity of life.
Shao attends UIC's Summer Programme at the Université Catholique de Lille
Shao exchanges to the Northern Michigan University when studying at UIC
As a result, she stopped drifting around for her research direction and began to focus on applied research, such as socio-economic development issues and the impact of public policymaking on people's living standards.
To enhance her data processing ability, she decided to go to Duke University for further study.
During that time, she took many related courses in statistics, econometrics, political economy, and environmental economics. Besides concentrating on academic study, she also took positions in several academic institutions, government departments, and non-profit organisations.
The combined experience helped narrow her research interest further to environmental governance and economic development. Her master thesis, themed on electrification for education development, was graded with an A.
Shao at Duke University
Shao joined the Blanco Public Policy Centre in Louisiana when graduating from Duke University and participated in several research projects related to coast restoration, water treatment, offshore wind development, etc.
In her spare time, she started to prepare for her application for doctoral programmes and eventually became one of the seven students accepted into MIT with a full scholarship.
Recalling her application for MIT, Shao said it is important to find a suitable match for your research interest among multiple universities, and one should clarify their interest and continuously enhance their research abilities.
Universities also emphasise applicants' potential, so it is better for one to showcase their future development and contributions to the schools.
Shao hoped her fellow students could utilise all available resources on and off campus, finding out where their passion lay and heading towards it steadfastly.
From MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia Yu
Photos provided by the interviewee
Editor: Deen He
