Beijing Language And Culture University Q&A (2014): Abu Abukar

In this BLCU Q&A, we talk with Abu Abukar, who studied Chinese at the Beijing Language And Culture University for two weeks.

Remember to check out all our BLCU Q&As here. Lots of thanks to Abu for taking part, and contributing his experiences to the blog for the benefit of past and future students!

Tell me about your two weeks intense Mandarin course at BLCU, and how useful you found it?

The classes would normally begin from 9am and finish by 12:30pm. The beginning was difficult because pronunciation is the key and constant review is a must. It was a unique experience because I never imagined living, studying or travelling in China and I am considering working in China.

The teaching environment, location and my teachers were excellent, very friendly and every word learnt contributed to my growth in Mandarin. Just thinking back and remembering Beijing at night feels surreal.

How easy did you find the process of getting everything organised to go (accommodation, course, etc.)?

The whole process of accommodation and registration at BLCU was organised by Huawei. However, I had to provide details of my current occupation as a student studying Management with Information Systems at RHUL. I actually lived in the Haidian District, a hotel called the Geoscience International Conference Centre for the full two weeks study at BLCU.

I understand you did a three week internship at Huawei. How did that come about and did you enjoy working in Beijing?

I first heard about the internship from my tutor. He explained how rare and beneficial this opportunity was. I then applied as I found the idea of going abroad for an internship intriguing. Huawei collaborated with several universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton and Royal Holloway, University of London. Personally, I was interviewed by Dr. Fitzgerald, a lecturer in International Business on campus. My final real interview took place at Huawei’s Westminster base.

The work schedule took place in Shenzhen, whereas Beijing was all about learning the language first. It was a pleasure to socialise and bond with the Huawei team; I genuinely found them to be very friendly, approachable and creative individuals.

A lot of our readers may be interested to work in China after BLCU. How did you find the experience of working at a Chinese company compared to, say, a company back in the UK?

Team work, firm determination and high aspiration play a key role within Chinese corporations, whereas in the UK companies are focused on individualism, past experiences and the skills of the individual. Team work is important but there is so much emphasis in China. Nevertheless, this differs from person to person as well as their circumstances.

Chinese culture respects hierarchy structure so everyone knows their role and is extremely dedicated to their role. However, you have the opportunity to move and train to other positions that may interest you. Moreover, back home there is more opportunity and choices to enter freely into any faculty or further studies allowing flexibility.

What were your favourite aspects of studying at BLCU, and perhaps some aspects that you didn’t like so much?

The combination of studies in the morning and practising Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Chinese calligraphy, paintings and the arts in the afternoon was a great opportunity to understand the Chinese culture and traditions. I also liked the fact that the university was based in a very busy district. This helps to travel easily on the local trains or eat and shop in the Haidian District. It was a delightful experience throughout my studies at BLCU.

My advice to students planning to study at BLCU is to have some basic understanding or few simple words of Mandarin in order to better the experience, to order and shop without any hassle as well as to befriend other students on campus.

Will you be going back to China (if so, where) for travel/study/work?

It will be a pleasure to visit China again or Hong Kong at some point. It is definitely a place worth visiting once in a lifetime. I would love to travel for all purposes, whether it be tourism, study or work.

Where were your favourite places on and around the BLCU campus (food, bars, restaurants, cafes, shops, etc.)?

My first day at BLCU, I ate at the local Chinese canteen on campus with other students from Britain and France. However, on a daily basis we ate at the Muslim Restaurant which was a great opportunity to network and meet other students.

The local shop on campus helps to stock up on basic food, water, equipment as well as eating ice-cream considering I was there in early August when the weather was 40 degrees. Good times indeed.

The Haidian District is based in a good location, not too far away from places that students and tourists can visit such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, local restaurants or going swimming nearby the Geoscience International Conference Centre. However, bargaining when buying items seemed to be a good experience, and seeing the zeal of hard workers in China made me appreciate living there.

One last thing...

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