In 2014, I was funded by China scholarship council and went to the Development Economics Group of Wageningen University in the Netherlands in November of the same year to start a one-year joint training of PhD program.
When I first arrived in the Netherlands
Public transport in the Netherlands is very convenient. The basement of the airport is the railway station, from which you can take the train directly to the Ede-Wageningen. After more than an hour's train journey, I finally arrived at the home in the Netherlands. My landlord isan elderly Dutch couple and my room is a small attic on the top floor. The room is so cozy that I immediately felt the warmth of a foreign country.
Study in the Netherlands
Under the guidance of my foreign tutor Marrit, I developed a one-year study and research program in the Netherlands that includes both the study of relevant professional courses and the writing of English papers.
In terms of professional courses, I attended the following courses: Rural Economic Analysis, Microfinance and Marketing in Developing Countries, Advanced Econometrics and Advanced Microeconomics.
In terms of writing the paper, I co-authored the article “Impact of Credit Constraints on Rural Households' Entrepreneurial Performance in China” with my foreign tutor, who gave thoughtful guidance on the topic selection, framework, model construction, and thesis writing.
In addition, I regularly participate in the weekly seminars of the Development Economics Group, where teachers, PhD students or other famous scholars from other foreign universities are invited to report their recent research results. The weekly seminar activities enable me to come into contact with high-level scholars in different fields of economics, and learned many new research methods and research perspectives from their reports.
Life in the Netherlands
From the initial complete strangeness to the later familiarization, I became in love with life in the Netherlands more and more. For example, when you are walking down the street, people will smile to you kindly. Whether you go shopping, go to a restaurant or go to the hospital, you will receive acordial greeting "have a nice day". For nature, the Dutch are fond of gardening. When you come to the Netherlands in the spring, you should visit the tulip fields. In addition to the wide variety of tulips in the Keukenhof Park, cycling in the countryside is also one of the happiest ways to visit the fields.
Conclusion
Time flies, I graduated from Ph.D. in June 2016and started my job.Looking back on my study abroad experience, I not only learned a lot of professional knowledge, but also improved the writing level of English papers. In my daily life, I also improved my English communication skills and learned much different culture by communicating with colleagues and friends from different countries. During this year of living in the Netherlands, I also experienced the difference between watching the world from home and abroad. Finally, I would like to thank Nanjing Agricultural University, China Scholarship Council,myrespectable tutor and kind friends for their help and support in giving me the opportunity to study abroad. It was an unforgettable experience in my life, which both broadened my horizon and enriched my life experience.
