2019 - 2020
MARCO POLO FUND
Study / Traineeship report
This form needs to be completed by every student who has received a scholarship from the Marco Polo Fund.
Last name*Please write your name as shown in your passport Buiskool
First name*Please write your name as shown in your passport Frederick Guntur Jeen
RUG registration number (S) S3297489
Please enclose a 2 page report on your experiences abroad, using the following headings: 1. Preparation
1.1 Study Abroad Application
How did you inform and prepare yourself for the study abroad application?
1.2 Application to the host university
What did you have to arrange for the application to your host university once you had been selected and nominated?
1.3 Visa
If applicable: What did you have to arrange in order to apply for a visa? In how far did the host university support you with this?
1.4 Language
What was the required level of proficiency in the language(s) of instruction and how did you prepare for it?
2. Stay abroad
2.1 Arrival and orientation 2.2 Your study programme
Which courses did you follow? Was it possible to select courses outside of your major and if yes, were there any restrictions? How well did you manage to follow classes in the language(s) of instruction?
2.3 Housing
Did the host university provide you with suggestions for housing? How difficult was it to find a room? What is the price range for a student room in your host city?
2.4 Grant and costs 2.5 Free time/ Student life 2.6 Travelling
3. Return
3.1 Contact with the host university before, during and after you stay 3.2 Your perspective on the culture of your host country
4. Your advice for future outgoing exchange student 5. Other
1
I hereby give permission to the International Office to publish my report on Study Info to inform future students
X Yes No Future students may contact me for additional
information X Yes No Signature Participant Date: 12/02/2020
2
1. Preparation
1.1 Study Abroad Application
How did you inform and prepare yourself for the study abroad application?
1.2 Application to the host university
What did you have to arrange for the application to your host university once you had been selected and nominated?
1.3 Visa
If applicable: What did you have to arrange in order to apply for a visa? In how far did the host university support you with this?
1.4 Language
What was the required level of proficiency in the language(s) of instruction and how did you prepare for it?
For my minor abroad, I chose to study at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). The study abroad application process was clear and smooth, all the relevant information and documents were clearly stated on the website provided by the RUG. The brief motivation letter summarized my life experiences while also outlining the reasons for my preference of studying in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
My nomination came through in the beginning of January and all I had to do at that stage was just to officially accept the nomination. After the official acceptance, I was selected, which led to SJTU sending a mail containing an online registration form wherein I had to officially register at the university as an exchange student. Sequentially, SJTU sent a package delivered by post to the RUG, this package contained all the relevant information and documents regarding the visa application, registration day at SJTU, housing, timetable, and legal requirements.
The Visa application was a pretty long and complex process as I had to fill in a 15 paged form containing detailed information about myself and my family. In addition, I also had to travel to the Hague and go to the PRC’s visa application centre. I was missing a couple of documents for the application which led to me having to return to the
application centre the next day with the necessary missing documents. The visa itself was quite expensive, however, it was ready within 3 days.
All the classes that I attended at SJTU were taught in English, which did not prove to be a limiting factor.
2. Stay abroad
2.1 Arrival and orientation 2.2 Your study programme
Which courses did you follow? Was it possible to select courses outside of your major and if yes, were there any restrictions? How well did you manage to follow classes in the language(s) of instruction?
2.3 Housing
Did the host university provide you with suggestions for housing? How difficult was it to find a room? What is the price range for a student room in your host city?
2.4 Grant and costs 2.5 Free time/ Student life 2.6 Travelling
I landed in Shanghai Pudong Airport on the registration day as there was a shuttle bus taking all the new international students from the airport to SJTU’s Xuhui campus. The registration day however was less than pleasant as it was a 5-hour process that mainly consisted of waiting in lines. However, the staff were helpful and provided all the necessary information and advice for the beginning of my semester in Shanghai.
3 I followed 5 courses, namely: China Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, China in World
Politics, “Energy, Climate change, and Sustainable Development in China”, Political Economy of China’s Development, and Elementary Chinese. As far as I know, we were able to select courses outside of our major, however, the main restriction came in the form of a linguistic barrier as the majority of the courses were all taught in
Mandarin Chinese. All the classes that I followed were taught in English, therefore, it was perfectly easy to follow and understand the content of the classes.
The university did provide a limited number of rooms for international students. Unfortunately, I was facing some issues with the registration of the student dorms which led me to seek off-campus accommodation. I found my room and my agent through smartshanghai.com, which was not a difficult task. In order to get the deposit of my room back, I also had to find a replacement for my room, which I also found through smartshanghai.com within a few hours of posting it on the website. The rent however, was quite pricy, therefore, it is highly advisable to book an on-campus accommodation.
During my time in Shanghai, I successfully applied for a Marco Polo grant, which did prove to be of significant financial assistance throughout my semester. Food, drinks, taxis, and metros were very affordable.
During my free time, I mainly discovered the massive city itself. In addition, I also had a four-day weekend, which allowed me to travel to other places outside of Shanghai, such as Hangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, and Huangshan. There are more than 30
universities in Shanghai, which also means that there are a lot of students and working young adults, which did significantly improve the student life in Shanghai.
3. Return
3.1 Contact with the host university before, during and after you stay 3.2 Your perspective on the culture of your host country
Contact with SJTU before my stay was thorough and clear, relevant information was clearly given during my stay. However, I did leave right before the Covid-19 outbreak in the PRC, which proves to be a communicational obstacle with SJTU up until the time that this report was written.
Chinese culture, nature, cuisine, and history is undoubtedly very rich. My time in Shanghai has given me a clear and in-depth overview of the Chinese perspective on international affairs and in global politics.
4. Your advice for future outgoing exchange student
Definitely aim for the on-campus accommodation, and if not, keep smartshanghai.com in mind when searching for off-campus accommodation.
