Voices from Abroad: Caterina Guo

Beijing (China), Campus Abroad, Tsinghua University
Shanghai (China), Double Degree, Fudan University

Great Wall of China

Università Bocconi offers a truly international context (students and teachers mix incredibly different backgrounds) and I was given several opportunities to broaden my view and to enrich myself from both an academic and a personal point of view.

My first "international experience" is dated July 2008, when I attended the Campus Abroad in Beijing at Tsinghua University (one of the best universities in China). I was born in Italy but my parents are Chinese: I have always been curious about my parents' origins, but I have had few chances to get in touch with it. Plus, the 2008 Olympic Games were celebrated in China and I could experience how the city got itself prepared for such a World-famous event (new buildings and new underground lines were built from scratch and volunteers were all around to help visitors). It was such a valuable experience to enrich my understanding of Chinese culture.

Terracotta Army near Xian

Spending a period abroad is much more than a mere trip. As soon as I discovered that a new program was established (I was about to finish the first year of my Bachelor), I decided to attend the DDIM (Double Degree in International Management): it consists of a first year at the Fudan University of Shanghai (a very famous university in China) and a second year in Milan. It is not easy to find the words to describe one year of real life in Shanghai: it is a unique experience in a city that never sleeps. Shanghai is a global city with over 23 million people and it is a mixture of contrasts: next to new skyscrapers you may find traditional Chinese houses. However, the Chinese culture can be felt in every corner of the city: rickshaws, street foods, bicycles everywhere, parks with people playing traditional instruments and many other things. A peculiarity of this experience is that in a lot of situations the Chinese language only was to be used: I had few problems since I knew already the language quite well, but I have seen how quickly my Italian classmates have learnt basic Chinese words and how to communicate with people that speak such a different language.

Musicians playing traditional instruments

Working in groups with my Chinese classmates has taught me how to deal with people with a totally different background, in terms of both academic qualification and culture: for instance some of the Chinese students come from statistical or chemical bachelor studies. Indeed, they often have a completely different way of working (i.e. a different way of organizing the group work, a different way of analyzing a case and different ideas) and we all learnt something from each other.

Shanghai is not only a wonderful city to be discovered but it gave me the possibility to travel within China and learn more about its history. For example, I have been to Xian to visit the Terracotta Warriors. I have heard a lot about them, but I never realized how big and important this construction was: being there and looking at this great discovery made me understand there is always something to be learnt and discovered. The emotion I felt being there, surrounded by the Terracotta Warriors, is something I will never forget.

In conclusion, these experiences helped me understand how important it is to respect other cultures and they made me learn how to work with people coming from different backgrounds. I would strongly recommend everyone to enroll in an international program and live an unforgettable experience as I did.