Because of China’s rapidly growing international influence and Mandarin being one of the 6 official languages of the United Nations, I saw studying in China as an incredible opportunity for me to gain some international educational and life experiences that will undoubtedly help guide me in my future professional endeavors. I applied for the CLIC (Canada learning initiative in China) program to study Chinese language and literature in Beijing in order to learn more about Chinese language and educational practices. I was extremely fortunate that the University of Calgary has a unique partnership with CLIC and the number one ranked university in China, Tsinghua University. This partnership allowed me to study at Tsinghua University alongside some of China’s brightest young minds, an experience of indescribable value, and helped me finance the costs of the program, which I certainly could not have afforded myself.

Parker Maris, University of Alberta