Saskia Kühne

My motivation to spend a semester abroad in Beijing was driven by my desire to learn the Chinese language and acquire intercultural experiences in China. Studying at Peking University provided me with the possibility to improve my language abilities by attending Chinese language classes several times a week while having the opportunity to directly apply the acquired language skills in my everyday life. Furthermore, I was able to extend my knowledge in the field of economics and business-related decision-making processes by attending classes out of the course program taught in English at the Guanghua School of Management.

Besides its academic program Peking University offers a great diversity of sports and leisure activities, and numerous recreational areas such as parks and most notably Weiming Lake, on which we were even able to ice skate in winter. I also particularly enjoyed exploring beautiful natural and cultural sites around Beijing as a member of the PKU hiking club.

Apart from the university and its rich campus life I was extremely fascinated by Beijing as a city of contrasts between traditional Chinese cultural elements and modern lifestyle and technology. Finally, being able to explore interesting natural and historical sites by travelling in China during and after my semester at Peking University provided me with valuable personal and intercultural experiences. Especially hiking to Buddhist temples and monasteries in the mountains of Shanxi and Yunnan province was one of my personal highlights.

All in all, I can say that my semester abroad in China helped me broaden my academic knowledge and was a great cultural as well as personal enrichment.