Out of the four universities, Rouhan decided on the Development Economics Master’s Programme at Oxford University, which is more closely related to her undergraduate studies at UNNC. “Studying Development Economics was a natural choice for me based on my academic experience so far,” said Rouhan.

It was Rouhan’s interests and passion for the field of economics that led her to choose to study International Economics and Trade at UNNC. Outside of the academic course, she would also satisfy her thirst for knowledge by getting involved in extra-curricular projects and internships.

For example, Rouhan applied to be a research assistant to Dr Zhenjiang Lin and Professor Chang Liu at the School of Economics, gaining a wealth of research knowledge and experience. She also participated in a project on the “Internationalisation of Tourism” in Henan Province, compiling information and independently completing a 20,000-word proposal on tourism planning, as well as participating in the collection of materials and data on many key issues in Ningbo at the Ningbo Government Development Research Centre.

These academic and practical experiences gradually led her to identify development economics as a future direction. Inspired by Professor Simon Appleton, Head of School of Economics, Rouhan wrote a thesis focusing on structural reforms in Ethiopia. The thesis was a perfect fit with the Development Economics Programme at Oxford University, which helped her application to be accepted.

Ranking top of her class, Rouhan had the opportunity to join an exchange programme at Bocconi University. Speaking of the exchange, Rouhan said, “During the exchange, I received professional support from tutors at both UNNC and Bocconi University. Thanks to my high marks and active in-class performance, I was able to secure a reference letter from a famous academician at Bocconi University.”

Rouhan also attributes her success to the support she received from her three roommates. Her roommates Jiahang Tong, Chen Wang and Shuqi Li have so far received offers for MSc Economics at the London School of Economics, MSc Social Policy & Data Analytics at the University of Pennsylvania, and MSc Economics and Strategy for Business at Imperial College London respectively. This autumn, all four UNNC graduands will begin their new journeys in master’s programmes across the world.

Rouhan believes she will continue to study economics after her upcoming master's programme and has plans to pursue a PhD in the future. Speaking of how UNNC prepares students for the future, she said, “the university has a vast alumni network and extensive internship resources to benefit students seeking a career after graduation. For those who want to step into the academic world, the university organises various research positions to help them gain more experience. This combination of theory and practice helps us to develop our interests and gain deeper expertise into an industry or a discipline. As long as you are willing to work hard, there will always be a reward.”