Sun Lijing: "My experience in Barcelona changed me in so many ways"
Sun Lijing decided to continue her training outside of China and arrived in Barcelona in September 2019 as a participant of the Study Abroad Pre-established programme. She chose subjects such as business management with a focus on international marketing, and in this interview she talks to us about her experience at the UAB and how it has changed her professional outlook.
Q. How did you discover the UAB’s Pre-established programme?
A. Through the website of the International Exchange Office.
Q. Why did you decide to study in Barcelona?
A. First of all, Barcelona is a fantastic city, with many interesting places to visit. I love travelling, and this city was my first choice. And I am also glad to have had the opportunity of discovering a new learning environment, different to the one in my country.
Q. What opinion do you have of the people you met here while studying?
A. All the lecturers and students are great, I loved it here. In my International Marketing Strategies class, lecturer Myriam Hikimura combined practical business cases with theory, and allowed us students to acquire greater knowledge on marketing strategies. In addition, lecturers Maydo, Jean-Philippe, Alicia and Pilar have so much experience that they are excellent lecturers who helped me a lot with my studies. I really love them all. I am now enrolling in a master’s degree in the UK, so if I have the opportunity, I will visit Barcelona again and visit them all.
Q. Can you describe your experience at the UAB?
A. Well, I had a lot of memorable experiences. First, I made many friends from different countries, and I am still in contact with some of them. We studied in teams at the UAB and worked together to solve problems in class. And all the lecturers were ready to help us with everything we needed. They always encouraged me to express my opinions directly, although I didn’t speak English so well. They were the ones to give me the confidence to follow my dreams and that helped me become a better person. I am very grateful to have met all of these people.
Q. What about you experience living in Barcelona?
A. The first thing I remember about Barcelona is Gaudí’s architecture. I went with my friends to visit almost all of his buildings and we were all so impressed. Also, the people in Barcelona are so open and the food is delicious. I was very happy living there.
Q. What kind of an impact did this experience have on your life?
A. My experience in Barcelona changed me in many ways, and I loved being in an international academic environment. I decided to enrol in a master’s degree in the UK, following my stay in Barcelona. If I have the opportunity, in the future I will be working in an international company.
Q. What did you learn during your stay at the UAB?
A. I took four courses: International Marketing Strategies, Management Skills for International Businesses, Intercultural Business Management, and Spanish.
Q. It has been two years since you participated in the programme. How have you applied what you learnt to your professional life?
A. The most important thing I learnt was to look at problems from different perspectives. And I now use the skills I acquired in International Marketing Strategies and in Management Skills for International Businesses when I have to solve problems. For example, when I was doing my intern in China Industrial Securities, one of my tasks was to gather historical data on the company to analyse its past performance, and check for advantages and disadvantages. When I write up reports, I use Porter’s Five Forces model, which I learnt in International Marketing Strategies, to analyse the product performance of potential competitors. In addition, sometimes I also use the communication skills I aquired in Management Skills for International when talking to clients and companies, which help make the work easier.
Q. Would you recommend this programme?
A. Yes, I would recommend all of the subjects I took! The International Marketing Strategies is very suitable for those specialising in Business, particularly if they want to work in international corporations. Students can study a lot of cases having to do with well-known companies, and learn how to analyse their strengths and their weaknesses. Anyone wanting to be a manager or rise within a company can choose the subject in Management Skills for International Businesses, where not only will they learn to improve team cohesion, but also have the opportunity of listening to conferences offered by admirable people. The subject in Intercultural Business Management offers students the chance to learn about the culture of different countries, which can be useful for them when working with people from around the world.
I also think it is important to learn Spanish. It is great when people speak many different languages! Being able to speak many languages in an interview is a plus.