/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/ en /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/prof-lucyna-m-lach-faculty-collaboration-program-shantou-university-september-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E I am very grateful to the Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation and the Faculty of Arts for providing me the opportunity to travel to Shantou University in May 2024. I enjoyed spending quality time with Â鶹AV and Shantou students and faculty, shared in their enthusiasm for the program, and learned how impactful an experience such as this was for academic development. I was proud to be part of this moment in their lives, representing Â鶹AV, and contributing to this important exchange. I was at Shantou University between May 3rd and May 17th, 2024. Ms. Yunung Lee, a doctoral student in the School Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:46:36 -0500 Lucyna M. Lach 641 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/kimberly-yang-advanced-research-student-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Introduction My name is Kimberly Yang, a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Joint Honours Philosophy & East Asian Studies at Â鶹AV. My particular interests and fields of study revolve around Chinese religions, politics of memory, and the phenomenology of culture & identity making. Going into the Advanced Research Program funded by the Li Ka Shing arts initiative, I had many hopes, desires, and goals for the program - in part because an opportunity to travel to China and take part in student research is far and few, but even more so because I had been on this program once Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:17:54 -0400 Kimberly Yang 640 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/chelsea-wang-advanced-research-student-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E I am a U4 student majoring in Philosophy and Political Science and minoring in Religious Studies, and my research was focused on the phenomenology of culture. Specifically, I was interested in the way in which the Chaoshan region’s unique history of migration manifests itself in its distinct cultural identity and using this as a case study to shed light on the concept of “worldhood” in phenomenology. Though, conducting research for this project was not my only goal. As a Canadian-born Chinese person with a complicated relationship with my Chinese identity, I wanted to take this opportunity to Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:03:15 -0400 Chelsea Wang 639 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/yunung-lee-advanced-research-student-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E My name is Yunung Lee, and I am currently entering my third year as a PhD student in the School of Social Work at Â鶹AV. My research focuses on identifying the barriers and promoters of educational upward mobility among first-generation college students in the United States. I joined the LKS-STU program as an advanced research graduate student to conduct a side project related to my dissertation. During the 2024 STU trip, my goal is to interview first-generation, low-income students at STU, as well as faculty members, to identify the key factors influencing students' journeys Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:52:54 -0400 Yunung Lee 638 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/mathilde-hardouin-advanced-research-student-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E My name is Mathilde Hardouin, and I am a second year Poli-Sci and East Asian studies honors student. I aspire to work in diplomacy in East-Asia which is why I put a huge emphasis in my studies on learning languages and understanding cultures. As such, since a very young age, I have been attracted to China’s rich and fascinating history and culture, leading me to start learning Mandarin at age 11. After years of classes, my desire to visit China was intense, but the occasion never presented itself: between the costs of traveling, the hurdle of finding a time when travel would be possible and Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:45:03 -0400 Mathilde Hardouin 637 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/serena-zhang-icl-cohort-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Hello! My name is Serena Zhang, a student entering my fourth year at Â鶹AV completing a joint honors degree in East Asian Studies and Political Science. Contrasting this reflection to my initial letter of intent when applying for the STU Intensive Chinese Language Program is the craziest full-circle feeling, to say the least. In that letter, I had mapped out three key goals: to expand my Chinese cultural knowledge, to learn more about the city of Shantou and its unique characteristics, and to reach a level of Mandarin that allowed me to better communicate with my relatives in China. In Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:14:26 -0400 Serena Zhang 636 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/olivia-randour-icl-cohort-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E My name is Olivia, a first-year student with a major in History and a minor in East Asian Studies. When I entered the LKS Intensive Chinese Language program, I had just finished the first level class. I joined the program to learn Mandarin Chinese in an immersive environment. In fact, one of my biggest dreams is to become multilingual. Moreover, as a history major, being fluent in different languages is an asset to better understand historical sources, events, and figures. Mandarin allows me to get to learn about such an ancient and rich history. The language also interests me as it is far Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:01:12 -0400 Olivia Randour 635 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/lucy-kaskie-icl-cohort-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E When we first began our journey, traveling through the rolling green mountains of southern China, I felt my senses ensnared in a humid haze. My previous acquaintance with China's southern climate stemmed from a short story I had studied in a Chinese literature class. In the story, the narrator describes the region as damp and mysterious. There’s a constant drizzle throughout the story that encapsulates a mythic realm that is so tight and atmospheric it becomes a feeling of addictive claustrophobia. Similarly, our journey to Shantou was as if we were slowly succumbing to this suffocation of an Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:16:22 -0400 Lucy Kaskie 634 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/adam-han-icl-cohort-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E As a U1 student entering Shantou, I had no idea of the transformative journey I was about to undergo. I had started learning Chinese at Â鶹AV at the 300 level, and while my classroom Chinese was decent, I knew that didn’t translate into practical skill. Through this immersive experience, I hoped to leave Shantou with the language and words I used daily. This level of fluency would also complement my Honours degree in political science as learning Chinese would give me insight into a growing international influence. Learning languages break boundaries, and by connecting with people across the Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:59:16 -0400 Adam Han 633 /li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/li-ka-shing-arts-initiative/article/kristina-tham-icl-cohort-may-2024%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E I am entering my third year at Â鶹AV with a double major in English Literature and Economics and a minor in Mandarin Chinese. I chose to apply to the LKS Program because I strongly believe in the power of immersion for language acquisition, and I thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m happy to say that both beliefs were proven true! During my month at Shantou, I got to deeply explore southern Chinese culture alongside an amazing group, meet and form long-lasting friendships with the kindest Chinese students who graciously worked as our TAs, and practice my Chinese on a Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:29:43 -0400 Kristina Tham 632