Ms Liang Yi, Deputy Director of Business China; Mr Roy Lin, founder of GenTM; and Ms Sophia Huang, Vice President (External) of the Business China Youth Chapter were invited to speak at Eunoia Junior College’s Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP) Camp on 1 December 2022 to share their knowledge about China from the perspectives of an organisation, businessman, and student respectively.
Respect for culture and history
Ms Liang Yi began the session by walking students through the milestones of Singapore and China’s bilateral relations. She introduced some of Business China’s key programmes aimed at nurturing young talents, keeping youths informed of the latest happenings in China, and developing deeper links between them and the youths in China.
Using viral controversies in the Chinese fashion industry as examples, Ms Liang guided the students to think deeply about the significance of culture and history for a nation. She reminded the students to treat culture and history with care because they embody heritage, experience, and values that hold special meanings. Although aesthetics and creativity are subjective, these should be founded on respect for one’s culture and history to avoid unnecessary misinterpretations and discomfort caused by cultural appropriation.
Failure is inevitable, but perseverance is the key
Next, Mr Roy Lin recounted his entrepreneurial experience in China and Singapore. Mr Lin shared that while there were a lot of opportunities in China, doing business in China was not easy for a foreigner like him when he first started. Apart from understanding the differences in local policies, banking systems and social insurance practices, he also had to learn the culture and art of social interactions with the Chinese. Nonetheless, his experience in China strengthened his resilience and brought him to greater heights when he returned to Singapore to expand his business, GenTM, a multi-tenant platform for tailored suits. Mr Lin used his personal experience to reassure students that failures are just part and parcel of life. Living his passion to the fullest, Mr Lin inspired the students with his unbreakable spirit and perseverance.
Live like you have nothing to lose
Ms Sophia Huang shared the reasons behind her decision to enrol at Fudan University. She had taken part in an immersion trip to Shanghai as a BSP student, and fell in love with the city. Another reason she chose to further her studies in China was because many organisations offered scholarship opportunities for local students to study in China. Ms Huang introduced her university campus and academic curriculum to fellow students and shared her life as an overseas student in China. She encouraged students to actively participate in CCAs, school clubs, and internships in China to enrich their student lives, experience the Chinese culture, make friends with local students, and lay the groundwork for their future career development. Finally, she advised students to embrace challenges and be bold in stepping out of their comfort zones to try new things during their four years in university, because “as youth, they have nothing to lose”.
Build bicultural competency, read widely, and learn from others
During the Q&A session, one student inquired about Singaporean students’ competitive advantage over Chinese students if they wished to pursue a career in China. Ms Liang encouraged the students to build on their bicultural competency and read widely to acquire information beyond social media. She believed that Singaporean students could leverage their easy access to information to form a more holistic worldview. Singaporean students had this competitive advantage as compared to Chinese students, who had limited access to information. Mr Lin, on the other hand, urged students to believe in themselves and learn from the Chinese’s diligence and drive. Referencing his earlier points about embracing failure, he also encouraged the students to uncover their own strengths and seek out their own path in life, because academic results are not the only way to define one’s success.