EAST ASIA PRACTICUM (CHINA & JAPAN)
It was a pleasure to participate in the East Asia Practicum a second time, this time as a graduate assistant in an administrative capacity. The East Asia Practicum was one of my favorite and most impactful learning experiences at MIIS, and helping to organize it was an opportunity for me to reflect on my own experience and try to help recreate and improve it for students this semester. Speaking in person with government officials, leading scholars, and peers is a totally different experience from classroom lectures and readings, and it shapes and guides research in unique and stimulating ways. An important research tip is to read bios and articles of interviewees as far in advance as possible in order to tailor questions to their background and expertise. On top of supporting the professionalism of the practicum by facilitating group activities and orchestrating travel and on-time arrivals at appointments, it was a lot of fun to go through the intensive and immersive experience of the practicum with this year’s participants, an experience that can form the basis of long-lasting personal and professional relationships.
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