Greta Lacchini - SLI participant 2011
"Who would have thought that a summer school of one month would be the springboard to a whole new world full of so many surprises?"
Why did you decide to attend a summer school in China? I am often asked this question when I begin to explain my previous studies. It is still somewhat unusual for most of the people to study so far away, in a place so different from the "normal" European countries. What made me decide on this summer school was its curriculum related to environmental protection; I had previously taken another course on the Kyoto protocol and the discipline of energy, both issues that greatly interest me. I saw the summer school as a chance to deepen my knowledge in this sector from an international perspective.
The Summer Law Institute curriculum was very intense with classes lasting all day, but we also had the opportunity to meet professionals from the different sectors in which the school specialized. Through roundtables with these experts, we had the chance to formulate our questions and construct a dialogue on specific topics; moreover, in some courses we were divided in smaller groups where we focused on specific issues, deepening our knowledge on the subject and then presenting it to our classmates. It was an excellent experience, both from academic and interpersonal aspects: the way of teaching allowed us to confront our different opinions and find points of contacts, at the same time we were able to know each other better and make long lasting friendships.
When I left Italy I was very nervous, even if the SLI was just for one month: China seemed to me a completely different world! I was ready to experience the "cultural shock" once I arrived in China... I'm still waiting for it after six months of my stay in Beijing. In fact, through the experience of the summer school, we were given the opportunity to apply for different internships available throughout China and Europe, and thanks to the added value of our curriculum many of us were able to gain amazing job experiences all over the world. I applied to the Delegation of the European Union to China and was offered an internship with the Energy and Environmental Cooperation Section, which was exactly what I wanted. My experience at the European Delegation was incredible: I learned very much, had the chance to become involved in the entire process for the creation of new projects, and I participated in many meetings with important representatives of Chinese and European authorities. In addition, the international atmosphere at the European Delegation, where Chinese and European colleagues work side by side, helped me to deepen my knowledge about the different cultures, especially the Chinese one – sometimes very different from the western one – and helped me to learn how to relate and work with people of different nationalities. Now that my internship unfortunately finished I found a new job in the same area of my interest that will allow me to stay in China longer. Who would have thought that a summer school of one month would be the springboard to a whole new world full of so many surprises?
June 2012