Widening your horizon is important, explains Sun Kairui, a 23-year-old law student from Beijing. He studied for six weeks at Europa-Kolleg Hamburg as part of his Master of European and International Law studies at the China-EU School of Law.
"Why I chose the elective courses in Hamburg? Firstly, simply put, because it broadens your horizon in a way you wouldn’t have imagined before. Secondly, senior students at the China-EU School of Law recommended Hamburg for the elective course. Professors are good and the city is very green, they said. They were right. Thirdly, I have discovered that everyday life has a slower pace here. Compared to Hamburg, in Beijing everybody seems to be in a rush – hurries to work, hurries to university, hurries home. Here, life seems slower, transportation runs on schedule, the air is very clean, and after work people seem to enjoy their leisure time. I like that. All that green reminds me of my hometown in Jiangxi province which is about six hours southeast of Beijing.
One of the greatest challenge of studying in Hamburg was the oral exam, the first one in my life. We don’t have oral exams in China as final exams. “Which country would you prefer to recommend as a registration place if a Chinese company wants to invest in Europe and why?” This was the first question Professor Peter Behrens posed to me. Then for 30 minutes I answered the question in detail. In the end, I passed with 9.5 out of 10 points. That was a good experience. Especially since it was the final exam of my favourite course, European and International Company Law, where we compared French, German and English Company Law. I gain a deeper understanding of Chinese Law when I study European Law as our law often draws on it.
There is much more interaction here in a lecture than in Beijing. Most students are relatively shy in Chinese lectures. Moreover, in the European and International Law master’s courses there are 70, mainly Chinese, students in the course, and here in Hamburg, there were only 17 students coming from India, America, Asia and Europe. Professors and students ask lots of questions, exchange opinions and discuss.
Thirty years from now I will still remember this study trip to Europe. I studied the functions of the European Union at home in the reading room, but I think it was only when I stood at the gate of the European Commission and European Parliament in Brussels that I had a deeper understanding about their meanings. Moreover, I really enjoy speaking to so many nice people from all over the world. On the S-Bahn last week, my American classmate Victoria told me about her trips all around the world and how much she enjoys travelling on her own because you are free to decide what to do and can meet new people more easily. I’ve always travelled in groups until today. Maybe next time I’ll try to travel individually. As to the difficulties of life in Europe, some Chinese students may not adapt to German food here because of the great difference between Chinese and German food. But it is not a problem for me as I enjoy the food here, pork knuckles for instance.”
Report by Sun Kairui, protocol by Ursula Zipperer
Photos by Sun Kairui and Ursula Zipperer
Not on holidays: Sun Kairui also went to the University of Hamburg’s law library on Sundays.
The heart of the European Union: Six students took the opportunity to visit Brussels during their six-week-stay in Hamburg.
