Global Citizen and Educator Interview: Learn from an Expert

Every day there is another one, It could be an article or session at a conference or a blog entry, but the amount of words on international education and international students is endless.

Don’t believe me? Just this week, for example, a strong broadside questioning colleges and universities’ commitment to globalizing came out the Chronicle of Higher 
Education. Earlier in the week a story came out on WGBH about international students coming to study in the US (I was interviewed for this piece),  And then there’s the 14 billion deal just signed between the UK and China for education


While these stories may be useful, some people have a better understanding of the issues going on in international education. Katia Hua is one of them. Not only is she a global citizen, and a trained journalist, she’s also an expert on international admission and credential evaluation. She is also a top contributor on the LinkedIn In group for foreign student advisors. Her own experiences going across countries and cultures give her a unique perspective.

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Can you tell us where you grew up in China and where you went to secondary school?

I grew up in Zhengzhou, Henan. It is located in the center of China. I went to Henan Experimental High School for up through 10th grade. After 10th grade, I went to high school in Russia.

What was your school like and when did you decide you would go abroad for university?

My high school was the best in Henan. I went to Russia after 10th grade because I wanted to see more about the world.

MSU 

You parents were educated at Moscow State University and you followed them there. How good was your Russian before you got there and how good was it when you left?

I didn’t learn Russian at school. I started learning Russian about a half year before I left.

Many know little about Moscow State, but it is the best university in Russia. Can you describe what the classes were like? How many international students were there? Did you make friends with all kinds of people? Do they have extracurricular activities?

Moscow State has various class sizes. There are some really big classes that have about a hundred students. But most classes are medium or small sizes depending on the content of curriculum. A small class normally has 6 to 7 students; the medium size has about 15-30 students. In these classes we would often communicate and discuss issues with professors and I greatly benefited greatly from this opportunity.

You have always been interested in journalism. How did you get interested in this field? What kinds of things did you learn about journalism in Russia and how is journalism as you learned it there applicable to journalism in China?

I grew up in a family that had been significantly affected by tumultuous political environments in China. My grandfather was the president of a local university and highly respected by both the faculty and students. He was put into labor camp and later jail during the Cultural Revolution and eventually died there. My mother, his only child, was discriminated against as bad element of society and was sent to rural areas for reeducation. Even in the face of this family tragedy, my mother remained undaunted; she later became an excellent journalist when political life in China returned to normalcy in the late 1970s. She taught me to reflect upon the important role politics plays in people’s lives and taught me about the wrongs of Chinese society during a dark time in its history. Her experience was part of the reason that I wanted to become a journalist.

Katia graduating from MSU

After you graduated from MSU you returned to China. Can you describe what you did?

After I came back from Moscow I worked in the China Central Television, the biggest TV station in China.

After several years of work you decided to pursue a journalism degree in the US. How did you go about researching schools and how did you end up picking the one you did?

I have a very special feeling to Lomonosov Moscow State University. Not only I finished my undergraduate study there, but also it opened a window for me, a window to the world. From there I traveled around Europe. I read a lot of mater pieces. Physically and mentally I started trying to see and to understand this world. If I didn't go to Moscow, I probably wouldn't come to the US.

Moscow State U has joint program with Missouri U. When I was at MSU I knew MU’s reputation. Furthermore, the journalism school at MU is the oldest journalism program in the world it is still ranked as one of the best journalism schools in the world. MU was always my first choice. In addition to MU I also searched other universities.  A University website is the most useful and direct information source. I could easily search for information about departments to which I wanted to apply. Department websites have nearly all the information you need. I also searched faculty information. All faculty CVs are listed on the website. In addition, you even can directly contact faculty and current students. For foreign students, financial aid is also important. Although foreign students have less opportunity to get financial aid, there are still plenty of choices, such as fellowships, merit scholarships, and on-campus jobs.

How was what you learned in your graduate program different than what you learned at MSU? Were you one of the few international students in your program? What did you learn about media in the US and what do you think of it?

The undergraduate program at MSU and the graduate program at MU are very different. At MSU there were more practice courses. Some courses were actually very fun to attend, such as film history, creative writing, and literature classes. I read many books during my undergraduate college years. It gave me a steady foundation in reading and writing. MSU has very good professors. They made some tedious Russian novels fun; they made some difficult concepts easier to understand; they lead us to think, to question, to understand, and try to find answers. Professors at MSU are very knowledgeable. Comparing to American professors, they are not rich. But they are very devoted to teaching and guarding the quality of academia. I think that’s a main reason that why MSU is one of the best universities in the world.

The graduate program is very different from my undergraduate study. At MU I had more seminars, which focused more on theories and require more speaking and writing than my classes at MSU.

You also worked at your university. Can you describe your job? You saw a dramatic increase of students coming to study from China. Do you think the students who came in enjoyed their experience in the US? Do you think that the students form China do enough to get to know others or do they stay together most of the time? If the latter, what sorts of things should schools do to make sure students get immersed in the culture they are in?


Yes, I worked at the Office of International Admission of University of Missouri. My job included reviewing and evaluating application materials (1,000+/year). This included reviewing standardized test scores, transcripts, certificates, diplomas, and financial documents. I then would subsequently recommend actions on each application. In addition, I helped to manage our partnerships with Chinese universities, assisted promoting the University’s brand; analyzed admission data to track and forecast admission trends and mobility, and aided in setting up visits by international scholars and students on the topic of academic development.

I have seen dramatic the increase of students coming from China. I think they do enjoy their experiences in the US. They want to experience American culture and make American friends, because it is beneficial not only for improving language skills and overcoming culture shock, but also for facilitating job hunting. However, to do so is not easy. To adapt and to become part of a new culture requires a great deal of effort. Therefore, Chinese students are divided into two groups. Some students who don’t have enough grit often choose to stay with Chinese friends. Students who have a clear life goal and career plan keep trying and put even more effort to embrace a new culture. I think for schools the key is to let foreign students feel they are part of the school. To do so requires officials to really understand international students and foreign cultures, and to be able to think from their perspective, and to have capabilities to plan to involve them into substantive activities and events.

Recently you accepted a job at WES (World Education Services) in New York City. Can you give a brief description of what WES is and what you do? What do you like about your job? What are some of the challenges?

My job at WES requires me to accurately review and understand foreign documents. This means I have to be proficient in understanding not just academic credentials, but also the institutions, grading scales and major areas of study in order to develop high quality evaluations. I have developed an intimate knowledge of assigned international educational systems. I also conduct research and generate presentations, webinars and/create content for publications.

I like my job very much. It is a bridge between foreign students and institutions in the US. What I do facilitates US institutions to better understand foreign credentials, which then helps foreign students during the academic application process. The global cooperation among universities has become more fluid than in any era before. The number of cooperation/joint programs among educational intuitions, as well as international campuses has skyrocketed. It is important to note, however, that since this is a new trend, programs vary greatly and the regulations are very different among countries. Therefore, it is challenging to evaluate credentials like this. For example, a Chinese student studied 2 years in China, then the student transferred to France for another 3 years; after that, the student wants to apply to graduate schools in the US. To evaluate the credentials of this student, I have to know three country’s education systems, In addition I also need to know how to analyze equivalence since there’s no specific guidelines that are accepted internationally.

Photo by Katia

You have been active in discussions about education on LinkedIn groups. In fact you are a top contributor. How do research hot topics in education? Are there a few topics that are of special interest to you ad if so what are they and why are you interested in them?

I like to research some topics beyond my work hours. I have realized that international educates in the US need more accurate and comprehensive information and knowledge from people who are familiar with certain markets and trends and changes in focus. That’s why I like to share my information and knowledge to the international education community. Meanwhile, I also have gained connections and very useful knowledge from other people. What I’m interested in is to analyze current data, and to predict trends. First, data contains a lot of information. We can see different stories behind it, such as economic growth of a certain country or what disciplines students from a certain country are good at. I always ask myself: “What should international education professionals do to improve our work quality and to help more international students?”

You and I have talked a number of times about the influx of students from China. Your views are far more in depth than most I have talked to because of your many experiences. What trends do you see happening with students in China? How do you see things changing over the next several years?

In my opinion, given the continued economic growth in China as well as the appreciation of RMB, there will be more Chinese students studying abroad. The age of the students, however, will be younger. Disciplines they study will be broader, meaning not only the popular fields like engineering or management. Summer school and joint programs will become even more popular. However, the limits on work visas in many parts of he world, especially in the US create problems in the job-hunting process. This is a serious issue that may affect the number of students who decide to leave China. A lot of Chinese students have faced difficulties of overcoming cultural shock and adapting to American culture. Meanwhile, since students study overseas, they lose opportunities to build connections in their home country. Increasingly common now is this story: students can’t find a job in the US, and they have difficulty finding jobs in their home country as well.

photo by Katia

Furthermore, universities have not done a good job in helping foreign students build a career path in the US. Most of international student advisors focus on visa information and have little or no training in job prep. And while career centers offer information regarding how to find a job and how to write resume, most of them have little training on helping international student overcome all the barriers that they face. Foreign students need more help than the typical student but there has been little recognition of this by universities. There are particular regulations and restrictions regarding foreigners during job search. More importantly, the immigration system in the US is broken. If things are not changed, there will be more and more Chinese students, and students from other countries, as well, who, after four, or even more years in the US, but can’t find a job. If the work visa issue is not changed, then students and parents in China will begin to reconsider study in the US. Instead, many will choose to stay and study in China, where they can both build career networks and save money.

What skills do student need to think about developing before they study abroad? What kinds of things do parents need to think about before investing large sums of money to in their child’s education? 

Students should have a clear study plan, maybe even a career plan, because foreigners are much more vulnerable to external change (policy change, discipline change, institution change, etc.) Plus, their parents spend a lot more money on them than domestic parents often do. Students also need to have psychological preparation. Many students imagine life abroad as exciting and a great adventure. To some degree, it is true. However, most of the time, campus life in the US is intense. In order to have any chance at a job international students have to study much harder than American students in part because of language issues and in part because they must stand out so that companies would be willing to go through all the extra paper work and fees in order to hire them. Many students think they don’t have time to do something exciting and fun like joining clubs and exploring the cities or towns they live in. For many Chinese students who think they grew up in a ‘small’ city if it only has 2 million people, a lot of towns in US really are tiny and seem to be located in the middle of nowhere. Many Chinese students are disappointed with the cultural options on many campuses and towns.

Of course, even more important than cultural and extracurricular options, Chinese students need to become fluent in English. Getting a good score on a TOFEL, or GRE, or SAT only means you are qualified to study in the US. However, if you want to excel, or to find a job in the US, your English skills need to be much better than that, especially for students in social science and humanity majors.

MSU photo by Katia

You are a global citizen in ways very few people are. Who do like to hang out with and what do you do for fun?

I like to hang out with people from different backgrounds. There’s an old saying of Confucius: “If three walk together, one should be my teacher.” I am always curious to learn more so I hang out with people from whom I could learn something. I like to do some out-door activities, I also like to travel.

Do you have any heroes or role models? Have you had mentors that have helped you and if so who were they?

I don’t have any particular role model since there are so many great figures in this world and in history. I respect a lot of people. But it’s difficult to say any one or any group is my role model. They are all great. One of mentors is my mom. I have learned a lot from her, especially the spirit of never giving up. Another ‘mentor’ of mine -- books. I like to read various types of books. The more I read, the more I find I know so little of all that there is in the world.

Would you ever consider writing a book on your many experiences and if so what would be your approach?

I have thought about writing a book, but my experiences, in my opinion, however, are not deep and broad enough for a book. I’m still young, maybe I will write a book at some point in next 10 years.

Anything else you would like to add about your experience that might help others who are interested in becoming a global citizen?

Always keep up your curiosity for this world. Always have a desire to learn something new. Always have grit, don’t give up so easily. And, last but not least, be patient.

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Katia’s family and her life experiences deserve to be turned into a film. It demonstrates the twists and turns that have happened in china and to individuals going through the greatest changes the world has seen over the course of a few decades.

Katia herself demonstrates what a global citizen really means. She is fluent in 3 cultures and languages, something rare but not as rare as it used to be, People are going across the globe in search of the best opportunities in education, business, and life. 

Katia ‘s commitment to helping others underscores her personality. In her posts of LinkedIn she often comments on the need to help international students. While many schools across the world enjoy the benefits of international students in classes and dorms (as well as the full fees they often bring), the schools have been slow to provide advising and mentoring to make sure they have the best chance at obtaining internships and jobs. The issue is now gaining more media coverage in part because of Katia and others like her, who care about the students not just for the time they are on a campus but for that will happen after they receive a degree.

Katia has taught me a great deal about education in China, Russia and the US. For this I am grateful. I think many of her words should be shared with educators and families and students around the world.