The Modern East Asian Studies programme at Goethe University offered me an opportunity not only to learn about the wider East Asian region across political, economic and legal aspects, but also improve my Chinese and further specialize in China Studies. After graduating, I spent several years working in the international development sector interning at UNESCO Bangkok and managing an EU-funded project in Central Asia. Currently, I am a research associate at the Department of Digital Humanities, King's College London working on the ERC-funded DigiSilk project, which investigates the on-the-ground development of China's Digital Silk Road. I am also a final year PhD candidate at the Freie Universität Berlin where I investigate how the Belt and Road Initiative is being institutionalized in China and implemented in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In my current research, I combine the academic knowledge in China/East Asian Studies I obtained at MEAS and my later working experience in the development sector in Central Asia.

Furthermore, the MEAS faculty and alumni have been very supportive throughout my early career decisions and the pursuit of a PhD degree. The interdisciplinarity of the MEAS, the reputation of Goethe University and the vibrancy of Frankfurt am Main make this programme worth considering for a graduate degree.