China: Environmental Protection with Chinese Characteristics
As an Environmental Studies and Sociology major at UC Santa Cruz, I became interested in Chinese environmental issues after learning about the Three Gorges Dam project in an undergraduate survey course about freshwater issues. When I later tried to do research on Chinese environmental issues on my own, however, I found that there is a very limited amount of information available on the topic, and that the information available is often strongly rooted in Western ideologies and biases. My decision to study abroad in Beijing was based largely on my desire to learn about Chinese environmental issues first-hand and gain a balanced perspective of China’s role in global environmental protection. Before departing, I set up an internship at Global Village of Beijing, one of China’s leading environmental NGOs. In addition to taking classes as a full-time student, I also interned 16-20 hours per week from June to December, 2002. As an international student and intern, I had the opportunity to work with Chinese environmentalists and learn about the exciting changes that are fundamentally transforming the nature of civil society in China. I got to witness the ways in which Chinese civil organizations achieve their goals, and observe the obstacles that they face. I also had the opportunity to attend international environmental meetings and visit the places I had studied in my classes. One of the most memorable experiences for me was visiting the Three Gorges Dam site. Being able to study abroad and work at a Chinese environmental NGO was a valuable opportunity that not only provided me opportunities to see first-hand the things I had studied, but also inspired me to write my thesis and share what I had learned with others. My international experience was an indispensable asset to my thesis project, as it provided both the foundation of and the inspiration for my research. I feel very thankful for the academic opportunities that study abroad provided, but the most important aspect of my experience abroad was actually being able to meet my family’s relatives for the first time. In this sense, studying abroad not only furthered my academic potential, but also facilitated my personal growth. —Julie Chao, UC Santa Cruz
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