No. 45: Mr. WANG Sihuan (Tohoku University, completed AELC in March, 2022)
Hi! I’m Sihuan, a 2nd-year graduate of Global Education at Tohoku University. I’m glad to share some interesting details about AELC based on my personal experiences, and what I had gained from this excellent program.
Speaking of the schedule, we basically had lectures in the morning and group discussion was scheduled after lunch break. The lecture is not a one-way communication as you thought, but contains several interactions from one section to another. While the discussion progressed in the afternoon, it was mainly based on our lecture that morning, or about the final presentation that we were going to have by the end of each course. So, generally speaking, I think the schedule itself is well-designed as its balance between the “Input” and the “Output” proportion is kept fairly well.
The biggest challenge I had been facing was “cooperation”. AELC is an English program though, not everyone has an inclination to communicate in English for reasons. Especially when everyone in a group is coming from the same region for instance, the language of discussion could be easily slipped from English to the local language. As it happened, I began trying to start up every conversation in English deliberately, and can be imagined, the result was very embarrassing because no one really backed me up. And at the same time, I got super stressed because I really didn’t know how to encourage others to do something they don’t like. At that time, I had no other choice but to keep reminding myself to be more patient and considerate. To my surprise, however, the attitude of my team members really has changed over time: first from giving me some active response, then to progressing every discussion all in English.
That is the biggest harvest I’ve gained from this program: Taking the leadership of myself. I have to admit that for a long time, I think I have nothing to do with “leadership”, as it seems to me that following others is obviously much easier than being a leader. But now I’m so thankful that I could have this chance to challenge myself, and really appreciate all of our advisors as well as my lovely team members. Although the program had already concluded, our friendship still continues. We keep in touch on social media these days, to share resources, to exchange information, to celebrate Christmas and Chinese New Year.
In short, AELC is perfectly fit for graduates who are interested in the educational field. Because all courses educate you not only in some certain fields, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. Most importantly, you will get a strong sense of achievement, which I believe is beneficial for one’s further self-development.