Peng Jiayi is a student from the International Business major, Class of 2021, at the College of Business. She is also part of the eighth cohort of the International Organization Talent Development Program. Currently, she has successfully completed two years of domestic training and has embarked on her third year of overseas study at Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom.

Today, we invite Peng Jiayi to share her reflections on her overseas study experience at Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom.

In 2021, I was fortunate to be admitted to Master of International Business Program of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (International Organization Talent Development Program). In September 2023, I got admitted to Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom. Upon my arrival, everything was engulfed by a sense of novelty: the brand-new learning environment, the cross-cultural atmosphere, and the array of interesting social events and seminars. Experience and exploration became the keywords of life.

After settling into the rhythm of student life, we were confronted with our greatest challenge—solitude. The life of a student abroad undoubtedly presents a glamorous facade: we experience a new culture as we wished, witness vibrant personalities, and encounter diverse lifestyles. However, at the same time, compared to being in our home country, we find ourselves with more time alone, thus bringing forth the existential question of "how to be get along with oneself" once again.

For me, getting along with oneself means understanding one's deepest needs and sources of motivation. Whenever I step into a new environment, I instinctively look for those joyful dancers. Art knows no borders, and dance intertwines with my life, bringing me a continuous stream of passion and upward-growing energy.

Similarly, I continue to seek out the energy of dance in this new land. I joined the dance association and K-pop dance club at Queen Mary University of London. Here, I met dancers from various countries, brimming with enthusiasm, confidence, and youthful charm. Every moment spent dancing with them fills me with fresh courage and strength to confront the challenges of life and study.

The International Organization Talent Development Program provides us with invaluable dual perspectives: the 2+1 learning model allows us to both ground ourselves in the current domestic economic situation and broaden our international outlook, enabling us to analyze and solve a series of business problems with a more comprehensive and systematic logic. Moreover, in terms of international organization studies, the dual-perspective learning model enables us to gain deeper insights into China's interests and actual position within international organizations, helping us further understand and contribute to China's significant role on the international stage.