Study in Venice
Posted On 03-04-2023
Anna is a former student of Ca' Foscari University of Venice who over the years has cultivated a deep bond with China, thanks to the dragon boat and thanks to some unforgettable experience in a city on the other side of the world: Suzhou. Let's read her story.
Hi Anna, can you briefly tell us about your years at Ca' Foscari?
I graduated in 2016 in Languages, Cultures and Society of Asia and Mediterranean Africa and later continued with a Master's degree in Languages, Economics and Institutions of Asia and Mediterranean Africa, graduating in 2018.
How did you end up in China?
During my last year I had the opportunity to work with Ca' Foscari at their Office in Suzhou, in China. It was an unexpected but, at the same time, a spontaneous path. I wasn't set on a clear career path or a particular sector and I liked the idea of being at "home", but at the same with quite a big change in terms of geographical and socio-cultural context: so I decided to leave for my first work experience abroad.
Was that the first time you visited China?
Actually I had already been to Suzhou (Jiangsu) in 2015 for a volunteer program through AIESEC. Thanks to that trip I was able to get to know the city and its beauties, bringing back home with me a wonderful experience and some precious memories (I am still in contact with some of those friends who I met at that time). Later, I went back to Suzhou in 2017 with the Venetian Dragon Boat team in which students from Iuav University and Ca' Foscari University participate. The university team was like family to me and we had the opportunity to travel around Italy and the world and enjoy this fantastic sport!
You have just mentioned the Dragon Boat: actually the cities of Venice and Suzhou have one thing in common: water!
Yes, exactly. I believe that practicing Venetian rowing is a unique experience in the world. The fact that I learned a traditional Chinese discipline, the Dragon Boat, during my time in Venice, was like rediscovering my roots. Even the opportunity to return to Suzhou for the Dragon Boat Festival had a symbolic meaning in my personal journey back to the Chinese culture. We have to say that the cities of Venice and Suzhou have been twinned for more than 40 years and this sporting event is part of the exchange program between the two cities and it aims to build a closer and closer bond between them.
How long did you work in Suzhou for Ca' Foscari?
I spent one year within the Ca' Foscari Office in Suzhou and I must admit that it was not always so easy, but at the same time when I look back I consider that experience a very rewarding one. I used to manage several projects, perhaps even too many given my brief experience, but I definitely learned a lot. Among my tasks, I had to deal with the exchange and research programs between professors of various departments of Ca' Foscari and Soochow University, and I also actively participated in one of those research projects. Then there was the promotional part of Ca' Foscari towards students interested in studying in Venice and the Italian language courses offered by Ca' Foscari in the buildings of Soochow University. Here, I supported the organization of the courses, I helped Italian teachers to settle down in China and I assisted the students enrolled in the course. I also took part in the preparation works for an exhibition organized to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the agreement between Venice and Suzhou. Unfortunately, Covid-19 prevented this project from being carried out completely in the way it was initially intended.
Unfortunately, however, the world had to face the pandemic and everything got stuck to such an extent which nobody could expect. Did it cause you a lot of trouble?
When my experience at the Ca' Foscari Office came to an end, I got in touch with some Italian entrepeneurs who work in Suzhou and I started working for a company which deals with photovoltaic panels. Due to the closure of the Chinese borders, I had to stay in China for two years with no means to return to Italy. I believe that the toughest year was certainly 2022 because in China we had a series of lockdowns. We could have a Covid-19 test for free at home every day and the result of the report was automatically uploaded to the Alipay app, which was used to enter buildings and public transport. Getting tested was really easier than having a coffee, but at the same time, in case you were positive or if your city had positive cases, your life would become hell.
How is the situation now?
Luckily I think we can now consider it a closed chapter. The situation has now normalized and there are no longer the Covid-19-test-centres on the streets or the guards who check that you have a fresh 48-hour report to enter the office or restaurant, and people can finally travel again. It was not easy, especially for foreigners living in China, many of them left China because of all the restrictions.
What are your plans for the future? Do you see your future in China?
I think I will stay in China for a bit longer, now that I am also starting to create a Family with a capital F.