The Thesis Proposal Defense for Class 2020 One Year Students of Institute of China Studies in Zhejiang University had been held from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM on May 21st, 2021. This is also the first online Thesis Proposal Defense held by the Institute of China Studies. The academic advisors of the Institute of China Studies, Zhang Xingkui, Zhou Wenyu, Shao Hui, Lin Ka, Francesco Silvestri, Thomas Whyke and Professor Ponzini (Teachers' representative of Turin University) co-chaired the Evaluation Committee for Proposal Defense of Master of Chinese Studies.
A total of 18 students from the Institute of China Studies participated in this defense. The students are also mainly from the partner universities: Turin University in Italy, Fribourg University in Switzerland and Kiel University in Germany. They were divided into two groups to report thesis topic and introduce research purpose, literature review and research plan. Students' thesis topic, from China's diplomatic relations (political issue) to digital currency (financial issue), from Chinese gender issue to local sci-fi literature, from overseas Chinese immigrant family evolution to individual identity, had wide coverage and deep breakthrough point. Each student was well prepared. They were made comments and offered suggestions one by one by the Evaluation Committee.
The students who participated in the defense said that the Master of Chinese Studies program deepened their understanding of China, and they could get an in-depth understanding of all aspects of China by this research practice, and explore their favorite topics for research.
They believed that although they did not live in China, they could have point-to-point discussions with tutors of MSC and conduct down-to-earth and in-depth research, which helped them to understand the problems in contemporary China from the source and the causes of their formation, and helped them to have a more three-dimensional cognition of the dynamic trends in China and the world. After communicating with the experts, they said that they would continue to improve their research proposal, believing that the research process would become their valuable wealth and lead them to a better future.
