Grad 2025: Studying international relations from China’s perspective

Name: Yuka Yoshizumi

Nationality: Japanese

Programme: MA International Relations

School: School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Q: Why did you choose XJTLU, and how has it shaped your personal or academic goals?
A: I chose XJTLU because I wanted to study international relations from China’s perspective. My bachelor’s degree was in international relations, and my first master’s was in peace studies, so in terms of the subject choice, MA International Relations was nothing new to me.

However, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, I have become increasingly worried about the peace and security in Northeast Asia. It seemed more than obvious that what I learned at universities was no longer sufficient to understand today’s world, and I needed to make sense of today’s international relations to think about what I can do. It was also very clear that China is a key to understand what is happening today and what world will be shaped in the coming decades. It was ever more salient as I look at the world as a citizen in Japan.

Against this backdrop, the MA International Relations at XJTLU was a perfect fit. While it provided a solid theoretical foundation developed in the West, every module had a strong focus on China. This made the course both unique and highly relevant in today’s international relations.

Yuka Yoshizumi (second from right) at the Suzhou Center Mall with international friends from Chinese language class

Q: What are some defining experiences from your postgraduate journey?

A: It is not easy to single out just one, as I had so many defining experiences. But the biggest one in terms of academic experience would be my dissertation project.

Every module essay was a challenge for me, full of trial and error, but writing the dissertation was particularly intense – it was the final and most demanding project, and I spent nearly half a year on it. It was a heavy task, not just because of the time and effort I invested – working from morning until late at night during the final semester – but also because it was the culmination of everything I had learned at XJTLU. I was determined not to compromise my commitment to the project.

Retrospectively, I faced a lot of challenges in almost every writing step. I remember I was at a total loss when working on my research proposal, and after I finished my first full draft, I experienced a bit of burnout and had to spend some days in bed. The finalisation process was also not very easy as I had to take care of so many things, such as the discipline-specific format requirements, academic English, layout, and more.

However, I would say the highlight of my dissertation writing was a moment when I managed to go beyond my initial analysis, which my supervisor pointed out that I should be able to go further to reach a more substantive conclusion. Surely, it brought a breakthrough to the final quality of my dissertation, and I felt it stretched the depth and scope of my academic capacity. I could not have completed this project without the warm and powerful advice from my supervisor and a solid foundation built by a set of course modules in this master’s course.

Looking back now, my experience of the dissertation writing is a mixture of bitter and sweet, but I’m very confident that I did everything that I could do with my full capacity, and my master’s course made it successful.

Yuka Yoshizumi (left) with her Thai friend Channa in Xi'an, China

Q: How has the international environment at XJTLU impacted you?

A: If XJTLU were not a genuinely international university, my studies in China would not have been possible. Throughout my journey, from the admission to graduation, I had no big problems, thanks to the fantastic support from the University at every phase of every dimension. My course learning fully benefited from an international academic team – a good mix of Chinese and international academic staff.

Also, I always had highly professional and reliable support from XJTLU Global, the international office at the University. Of course, the experiences on the master’s course were just a part of my campus life. It was more than a pleasure to have a lot of new friends from all over the globe. I was lucky to have many friends in Southeast Asia, where the future of the world is unfolding around the US-China relationship. Understanding this relationship is crucial for analysing the trajectory of Japan’s diplomacy in today’s dynamic international landscape.

It was also fascinating to get to know students coming to China from as far as Africa and Latin America, which clearly shows how China’s influence reaches every corner of the world.

To sum up, my university life at XJTLU was fully supported by a wonderful international community, which made my life colourful and beautiful.

Q: What advice would you give to new international students?

A: Be proactive to learn and ask for help. Studying abroad is never an easy short-time project. Over the course of study, there are ups and downs. Looking back, I bumped into the wall when I tried to go without adequate research and was stuck in a narrow own perspective.

XJTLU is full of opportunities and resources, so my message to new international students is that you will be fine unless you stop being an active learner and give up making your own time at XJTLU your best.

 

 

By Yuka Yoshizumi

Edited by Xinmin Han

Photos courtesy of Yuka Yoshizumi