For part two of the four-part Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) interview series, the subject is Mengmeng Cui from Beijing. After obtaining her Bachelor of Social Science in environment and society at APU in 2004, Cui went to graduate schools in Europe, worked for private companies and non-governmental organizations, started her own business, and now works in Singapore. Continuing to take steady steps forward, Cui looked back on her time at APU.
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Q: You were one of the very first students at APU. Why did you decide to study in Japan?
Cui: I entered APU in 2000, when the school had just been established. But this was more by chance, so to speak.
During my high school days, I became interested in environmental science after reading a book on the environmental crisis. I was shocked and thought that should never happen, not on the globe, not in my country. So I thought of studying environmental issues at a college perhaps in Australia. But then my friend told me about APU, a new university that was just starting in Japan. It had the subjects that I wanted to study. The school also provided courses in English. Since I spoke English, that was another attractive point of the new school. The environment was there, so I came over.
Q: How was your life in Japan, especially your campus life?
Cui: On campus, the first year was very tough. For many students, including myself, English was not our native tongue. We didn't speak Japanese, either. We had to study in two foreign languages, which was a big challenge for us. As for Japanese, we had four hours of lessons, four days a week. That is how we learned the language.
The good point of APU, especially in those days, was that since there were only 600 of us in total, we knew each other almost like a big family. Everybody was open and you made great friends. There also were and still are many good professors, and I would often drop by to chat with a professor not only on the subject he taught, but also on culture, art and so on. I have studied at other colleges in different parts of the world, but the openness and frankness of APU is exceptional, and I value the distinctive character of the school very much.
Q: Would you recommend APU to others?
Cui: Yes, definitely. APU is multicultural and really international. You learn so much, and people are integrated. Other universities are often very dominating. You don't find that at all at APU.
The school is also very inviting, even for the graduates, by holding various events. That is why I keep coming back to visit the campus whenever I can.
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But the school is still relatively unknown, and it is not in the mainstream. So I think it should enhance its global PR activities more on a continual basis. For example, the European Union organizes a committee for the graduates of the EU-funded universities. They pay to send the committee members to various places so that they can recruit new students in the respective countries. Perhaps that is one possible way of getting APU's name out.
Another area APU should consider seriously is the reinforcement of its information dissemination activities over the Internet.
Q: Over the years, you have accumulated much experience through your studies and work. What is your next step?
Cui: For me, things have turned out this way more by chance rather than through meticulous planning. Each time I was contemplating the next step to take, a friend or an acquaintance would come up with a suggestion or an offer. That was what happened with APU, the graduate school in Hungary, and now my job at Accenture in Singapore, which I like so much.
Toward the future, I am pondering the probability of finding a job at the United Nations. Working for the public interest and the environment on a global scale is enticing. Another possibility is to come back and teach at APU. Because I learned so much at APU, I would love to give back.
Q: What do you miss about APU?
Cui: People in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, the hometown of APU, are really very good. I have been in constant touch with my host family there, too. They are so close to my heart that they are like my real family. Even at Fukuoka Airport, people would give a nodding smile of approval when you say that you are a graduate of APU.
Honestly, there really is no place like APU.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/global-career-viewpoint.html?date=20111121
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