My intellectual excursion in China: 2019-2025

Updated: Aug 10, 2021 By Karanja John Maina Print

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John excited about seeing snow for the very first time. The photo was taken at Renmin University of China on 6th January 2020.

This has to be one of my favorite write up in a long time. I have so many great memories to share already. I will say probably my best decision came weeks and months when I was preparing to come to China. Like a smart traveler, I read several blogs about 'Dos' and 'Don't' in China, and sometimes you get negative comments here and there. However, I made a personal decision that am going to arrive here with an open heart and mind. I will try integrate in all ways possible as soon as I arrive. I will try to enjoy the culture, food, and everything else the great nation has to offer.

John Maina enjoys the views on top of UFO Glass Bridge located in Pinggu district, Beijing. The photo was taken on 31 October 2020.

John enjoys an epic performance by The Chinese Symphony at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. The photo was taken on the 15 December 2020.

John and his friends enjoying some barbecue and karaoke in a local restaurant in Chaoyang District, Beijing City. The photo was taken on 19 April 2021.

This mentality has served me well since I arrived. I have made many local friends, tried so many types of local food like 火锅, 北京烤鸭, 宫保鸡丁, 西红柿鸡蛋, 麻婆豆腐, 鱼香肉丝 among many others served in restaurants around Beijing and beyond. Learned so much history about the country, visited so many places like 中国长城, 故宫, 颐和园, 雍和宫, 地坛, 飞碟玻璃桥, 天安门广场, 表演艺术中心, 天津现代图书馆, 欢乐谷, 中国之家, 北京动物园, 国家奥林匹克中心, 东陵山 in the city and beyond plus so much more.

John (right) and his friend Good Ahmed from Somalia learn how to ski at the Vanke Shijinglong Ski Resort in Beijing. The photo was taken on 19 December 2020.

John learning Chinese Calligraphy. The photo was taken on the 13 December 2020.

John and his friends enjoy the famous hot pot (火锅) at a local restaurant in Beijing. The photo was taken in April 2021.

The lockdown threatened to scatter my plans of exploring the country but luckily, China managed to deal with COVID-19 swiftly. My decision to trust the robustness of the Chinese health system has been vindicated. The collective effort, unity of purpose and great leadership especially when Wuhan was battling the pandemic was commendable. As a young leader, I learned so much about how to manage a crisis.

My goal was to do a master's degree in China and then go to the United States or Europe for PhD. However, that has since changed. My study experience at Renmin University of China has had a big impact on me. It's been ten times better than what I expected. The standards of education are very high. Therefore, I decided to apply for a four-year PhD program offered at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and luckily I was admitted in February. I will start in September 2021 two months after my graduation at RUC. Just like the famous 'Renda', SJTU is a world-class university. I have no doubt I will enjoy my studies there.

John (2nd from left) and his friend Kevin Mwenda take a photo with two local tourists at the famous Tiananmen Square. The picture was taken on the 5th of November, 2019.

This means my 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) will be about education. I believe a prestigious institution like SJTU will be a perfect place for me to gain more knowledge about my field and hopefully participate in cutting-edge social science research projects in the near future.

The four years will not only be about education. I love traveling and I plan to explore more cities and vlog about my experiences. I recently got vaccinated for free on campus thanks to the generosity of the RUC family. This means my body will be well equipped to deal with COVID-19 in the unlikely event I come across it. However, the way China has handled the pandemic means my travels will be safe.

John (right), Kevin, and Damon explore Beijing. The photo was taken on 17 November 2020.

John addressing Kenyan students at Western Mahua restaurant in Beijing. The photo was taken during KENSAB 2020 Christmas dinner on 27 December 2020.

As a scholar, I hope to play a key role in shaping the future of not only China but also my country Kenya. Belt and Road Initiative has brought the two countries even closer in recent years. My master thesis was about BRI flagship projects like Standard Gauge Railway and I intend to research more on the same going forward.

As a media practitioner, I also hope to get a chance to publish more feature articles in the local dailies in both countries like China Daily and Daily Nation on many lessons I have learned so far. The transformation am witnessing in 中国 has to be broken down into small pieces for people around the world to understand and learn from it.

Karanja John Maina is a young and visionary media practitioner and leader from Kenya. I'm currently in my final months at Renmin University of China pursuing Global Journalism and Communication, a program linked with Belt and Road Initiative.

I have middle-level experience in News & feature article writing/editing, press release writing, pr writing, social media management, audio/video editing, in-depth reporting, among others.

During my time in China, I have served as Communication Director (2020-21) for the Kenyan Students Association in Beijing (KENSAB) and President of Renmin University African Students Association 2019-20 (RUASA).

My hobbies include traveling, watching documentaries, and football among others.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.