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Alumni ambassador

Xu Haolun

12 July 2023

Meet UC Alumni Ambassador Xu Haolun in Suzhou, China.

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Haolun attended the University of mini传媒 for a master鈥檚 degree in International Relations and Diplomacy between 2017 and 2018. Haolun started his career in communications at Peking University, operating the University's social media. He recently moved to Suzhou to take on a new challenge as Communications Officer at聽Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, producing news and feature stories.

Can you tell us a bit about what you studied at UC and what you are up to now?

Graduated in April 2018, I was one of the first cohort of the Master of International Relations and Diplomacy. My research focused on China鈥檚 political influence activities in Albania. My supervisor Professor Anne-Marie Brady and I co-published a paper at聽聽right after my graduation; the paper was selected as a chapter in a book series聽聽in 2020.

I鈥檓 now a communication officer at Xi鈥檃n Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China.聽

What memory stands out to you from your time at UC?

Friendship and cultural diversity! I鈥檝e made lifelong friendships during my time at UC.聽

I still remember the group trips my friends and I took to Lake Ellesmere to see the Aurora lights, Akaroa to experience the French settlement, and Riccarton to discover local delicacies from the Christchurch Farmers' Market. A friend even invited me to a Christmas lunch with her family and I was so touched by their hospitality.

Developing solid friendships with people from around the world is one of the UC memories聽I cherish the most.

What is your favourite thing about where you live?

Suzhou is a cultural hub in China. Established in 514 BC, you can explore more than 2,000 years of history by visiting local , parks, museums, Buddhist temples, and even ordinary alleys in the Old Town district.

The city is also a powerful financial hub. Statistics show that 156 of the world鈥檚 500 largest companies from 19 countries and regions invested in projects in Suzhou, including Coca-Cola, Mitsubishi, L鈥橭r茅al, Unilever, Samsung, Siemens, and Philips. Here, you can meet people with different cultural backgrounds, try out a wide range of cuisines, and find many job opportunities.

It鈥檚 worth mentioning that bullet trains run between Suzhou and Shanghai multiple times a day, and only take 30 minutes to travel. Living in Suzhou means you can enjoy a vibrant metropolitan lifestyle in Shanghai too.

Is there any advice you would give fellow alumni who have moved to your area?

Transportation. Suzhou does not have an airport, the nearest airports are the Su鈥檔an Shuofang International Airport in Wuxi city and the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Both taxis and the metro from Shanghai can be very experience and slow so it's worthwhile figuring out how to book train tickets.

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