Fiona Runting
GO Program participant
When Fiona Runting travelled to China through the GO Program, she immersed herself in a new culture, learnt a new language, and made new friends.
Fiona, who studied at Fujian Normal University, says the university’s location outside the major tourist destinations meant few people spoke English. This gave her the opportunity to practise her language skills more often.
“I also formed closer friendships with the Chinese students, which no doubt helped my language skills,” Fiona says.
“On my birthday, my fellow exchange students and Chinese friends took me out to dinner, and each sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me in their native language—Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, French, Welsh, and finally, English!”
Fiona says while being able to speak another language provides a competitive advantage in the job market, an awareness and understanding of other cultures is also valuable.
“The GO Program opened my eyes to different cultures, different ways of thinking, and different ideas,” Fiona says.
“I feel that as the world becomes a smaller place it is becoming increasingly important in any occupation to know how to communicate effectively with people of other cultures.”
Fiona says she would encourage “each and every” USC student to have an international experience.
“The GO Program will take your independence, problem-solving skills, communication skills, language skills and cultural awareness to new levels,” Fiona says.
“These skills will not only give you a competitive edge in the job market, but in life. And you’ll have the time of your life while doing it!”
Fiona received a A$5,000 Cheung Kong Exchange Program subsidy to study in China.