Personal Statement

Undertaking internship at the XX Center of XX Commission in the first half of 2003 sensitized me to the major developments both inside China and around the world. I had special opportunities to be exposed to the economic, political, and cultural events around the globe. This knowledge about the outside world has given me a unique and balanced perspective to examine the reality of Chinese society. In this historical epoch in which China is becoming closely integrated into the international community and playing an influence role in the world arena, my personal perspectives and aspirations are also undergoing important changes. I wish to gain insights into our society in its socioeconomic aspects and to study how China can respond to the globalization process. Toward this objective, a Ph. D. program in Sociology concentrating on economic sociology seems imperative and completing this program will equip me to contribute positively and directly to the country’s social progress and globalization processes.  

My motivation toward undertaking such a program is related to another vital factor. While working at the Ministry of XX, I have been concomitantly pursuing a part-time second Bachelor’s degree in law (focusing on Economic Law) at the Law School of the prestigious XX University, recognized as the best law school in China. Building on my undergraduate program I completed in the School of Information Management of XX University, I have further broaden my horizon of knowledge. Studying economic law has inevitably triggered my concern for China’s economy and its economic performance in the global context. This explains my increasing interest in economic globalization, international development and comparative development.

My second degree cross-connects with my archives management at the Ministry of XX. In managing the agreements signed by China with other countries, I have paid special attention to the changing conditions and consequences as reflected in the international economic treaties China signed during different historical periods. By piecing individual cases together, I have developed an overall picture of China’s own economic development over the past 50 years and its economic cooperation with other countries. As a matter of fact, China’s economic development is the most important indication of China’s social and international development.

The broad knowledge base endowed by my education across China’s two leading universities has allowed me to play a research role at my workplace. By applying theoretical knowledge, I presented a research report XX，in which I probed into the basic principles in the collection and sharing of the economic information and in the management of global international agreements within the framework of international law. This award-winning report provides important reference value for an important portion of foreign affairs. At present, I am co-editing the book XX (in the “XX” series) by writing a chapter on XX. The book is to be published by XX Education Press early next year. In addition, I have submitted a host of papers like XX. Although my research is not strictly in the field of sociology, it nevertheless has permitted me to delve deep into important aspects of China’s rapidly developing society—IT industry and its complicated and far-reaching implications for the country’s social development.

As a matter of fact, I was qualified for the highly competitive employment at the Ministry of XX primarily because of the important research achievements I made as an undergraduate at XX University. Based on my research on the Strategies of Long-term Preservation and Retrieval of Digital Information sponsored by XX, I published nearly a dozen research papers, far beyond average graduate students. Among those papers, XX, and XX aroused the attention of the academia for their pioneering perspectives.

One thing special about my undergraduate program at the School of Information Management is its equal emphasis on science and humanities subjects. Apart from advanced courses in mathematics and information technology, I also studied Economic Information Retrieval and Utilization, Contemporary World Political Economics, Information Consultation and Decision, Personnel System and Human Resources Management that are highly relevant to the program I am applying for. My extensive extracurricular reading covered In Search of Prosperity: Analytic Narratives on Economic Growth by Prof. Dani Rodrik, director of the Center for International Development at Harvard’s The John F. Kennedy School of Government. Beyond my academic study and research activities, I did internships at the XX of XX Province. I gained knowledge both about the country’s macro policy-making processes and about micro economic operations.

By far, my most important input in the field of globalization and international development derives from my diplomatic experiences at the Ministry of XX. I served as conference assistant at the second round of XX on the XX Issue in the XX. I went on a cultural exchange tour to XX and contributed to the successful holding of the Exhibition on XX. I attended the International Conference of XX, the XX of China . Most importantly, I worked for a month as assistant secretary at the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in XX at the end of Oct. 2004 and for the succeeding two months at the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in XX, XX. All those experiences have given me international and comparative perspectives regarding the regional development around the globe.

With a strong commitment to social development, I am searching for a best university to deepen my knowledge and understanding of sociology. The excellence of your faculty and your research standards represented by the faculty are most impressive among leading American universities. Your highly respected program provides students with opportunities to explore the most cutting-edge theories and to apply them to reality. I am most excited over your well-developed and comprehensive curriculum, with lots of interdisciplinary subjects, taught by knowledgeable professors. Such educational advantages are nowhere to be sought in China. Your Ph.D. program in Economic Sociology permits students to perform comprehensive research through all kinds of methodologies.  Under your program I would like to focus on International Development, Comparative Development and my prospective Ph. D. dissertation will be on one of the following areas—Comparative Development of Asia and the West, Global Cities, Business Networks (Asia, Social Capital and Social Networks，Financial Changes (Asia) .

There are two things that I can contribute to your program—my unique and in-depth knowledge about China’s social conditions and social development, its inherent problems and possible solutions, and my special ability of research cultivated through the writing of dozens of papers and essays and as co-author of two books. Through your program, I hope to develop into a scholar well-educated and well-trained in sociological theories and methodologies. My professional objective is to return to China and be a researcher at the International Studies Center under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By that time, I will be able to contribute to China’s social development by influence the administrative organs involved in formulating China’s macro social development policies. In doing so, I may integrate my self-actualization with the values of the larger society.