Huan Wang
I am originally from Jincheng, China. The Master in International Development will be my second master’s degree, having earned my first in experimental economics from the Center for Experimental Economics in Education at Shaanxi Normal University. I also worked there as a research assistant for a year after graduation. During those four years, I engaged in educational development in rural China by implementing six impact evaluations and conducting fieldwork in local schools and households. This experience has pushed me to think about the most effective ways to empower local communities and promote their development. These are topics I’d like to explore while I am studying at IE School of Global and Public Affairs, and I look forward to making a contribution to educational development.
“The CSC-IE Scholarship gives me confidence and encourages me to learn more, and it gives me a valuable opportunity to pursue my career.”
As a student with incredible academic merit, Huan earned the IE School of Global and Public Affairs and Chinese Scholarship Council’s CSC-IE Scholarship in Global Governance and Sustainable Development. Even in these unprecedented times, she believes that moving to Madrid to pursue her master’s degree was the best choice for her future success.
Being offered the CSC-IE Scholarship has given Huan confidence in the classroom and encourages her to learn more. If she finds something difficult or is feeling stressed by the rigorous program, Huan reminds herself that she was selected out of an incredible group of applicants for this scholarship, proving that she has the ability to conquer the problem at hand.
In regard to safety concerns surrounding the global pandemic, Huan believes that IE University continues to address the challenges successfully.
The safety measures put in place in the classrooms make her feel safe, especially as students pass through a thermal checkpoint every day.
IE University’s Liquid Learning methodologies allowed Huan to begin the program from China. Due to an issue with her visa, she spent the first term in the hybrid classroom. Even though she was learning from her home country, she felt like she was sitting next to her colleagues.
Huan feels that the multicultural background at IE University is teaching her to look at issues from various perspectives. She works alongside students from both developed and developing countries, which leads to open and honest discussions with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints. Considering this to be the most valuable thing she will learn, Huan will use this global mindset for personal and professional growth.
Outside of the classroom, the IE Talent & Careers team has exceeded Huan’s expectations. She was pleasantly surprised by the amount of career assistance offered daily at IE University. The career workshops have taught her invaluable interview and CV building skills. She particularly values the opportunity to book individual career consultant appointments with highly qualified and helpful career assistants.
She feels empowered by IE Talent & Careers, noting that she receives weekly emails listing relevant job and internship opportunities.
Aside from the support provided by the Talent & Careers department, Huan has been taking other steps to boost her CV, having recently completed an online course with the UNSSC. Recounting her experience, she says she valued the up-to-date materials they provided about policy coherence in sustainable development, as well as the highly qualified speakers involved. In the discussion forums, she also managed to further expand her global mindset through communication with participants from different backgrounds.
When asked about her future, Huan’s long-term career goal is to be a policy researcher or program manager in an international organization with a focus on educational development. She credits the recent UNSSC course with helping her with this, saying that “what I learned in this course could help me to consider development issues in a more comprehensive way.” She also highlights the experience she received using tools and approaches to promote policy coherence, which will help her in her long-term goals. As for the immediate future, she believes the next step would be to apply for an internship in UNESCO, UNICEF or UNDP, something she plans to do soon.
