Studying at WISE and Xiamen University has been an amazing educational and cultural experience. In addition to gaining an advanced degree in Economics, I have also had the opportunity to study the Chinese language and explore the history and culture of an emerging global superpower. One unexpected benefit of the program was the diversity of the student body. During my time here, I have made new friends from every continent. We travelled together, studied together, ate and drank together, and I look forward to visiting each one of them in the future in their respective parts of the world. Studying at WISE has challenged me academically, opened up my world view, and has given me the skills to compete in the global job market.