ARTS & CULTURE
Monday, January 19, 2015 7
The Obiter goes abroad
No. 5 – Martin Hui in Beijing
marie park › arts & culture editor
O
sgoode h as a n extensive list of partner schools with formal exchange agreements. Apart from these, there are
summer programs, as well as semester
exchanges with York University’s partner schools.
But did you know that you can arrange your own
exchange agreement with a non-partner institution?
Of course it will take some leg-work, but the individualized and unique experience will be worth all
the effort.
This week we travel to Beijing with JD/MBA
‘1 4 grad Martin Hui, who arranged a semester
abroad with Tsinghua University’s School of Law.
He was able to do so through approval of a Letter
of Permission. Martin’s arrangement, as well as
his existing interest for continued Osgoode-China
involvement, led to talks between the two institutions which are now formalizing an exchange
agreement between Osgoode and Tsinghua. The collaboration was made possible by the contributions of
Professors Jinyan Li and Francois Tanguay-Renaud.
Osgoode students have a history of interest in
exploring China. For instance, the Teach in China
Program has sent two graduates to teach law at
the Southwest University of Political Science and
Law in Chongqing, Sichuan every year. The Hong
Kong University exchange program has been an
annual popular success among students, and now
the Tsinghua exchange program is sure to appeal to
many more students in the coming years.
For Martin, China was a top choice for a number
of reasons. Firstly, his Chinese heritage gave him the
desire to experience his parents’ motherland. In previous years, though he had visited China, his stays
had never been long enough to truly be able to learn
about his home country through immersive living.
He comments that in Canada and the West, the realities of living in China are known only by secondhand information, and much of it remains a black
box for most. However, as a rising economic superpower, the significance of seeing the true China has
never been greater. This was exactly Martin’s biggest
reason to go to China - to know the country, because
if you’re not physically there, it is very hard to really
know it.
Martin’s semester consisted of five classes on
topics such as Chinese Constitutional law, intellectual property, civil Chinese society, and investment arbitration - but the range of available courses
is wide, with lots of options. The benefit of taking
these kinds of courses abroad in China was that
they were taught in the Chinese context and aimed
at dealing with Chinese clients; a very helpful perspective for those who wish to work with a largely
Chinese demographic as a legal professional. As well,
Mandarin language courses are offered, a prime
opportunity to intensively learn and practice this
widely-spoken tongue.
Apart from the academics, Martin recalls that
some of his most memorable moments in China were
while travelling through northern China and inner
Mongolia. Seeing the natural beauty of the country
was a true gift, especially in its high contrast to the
Canadian outdoors that we are all used to. As well,
Martin has family in Guangzhou; being able to visit
ê Above and below: The picturesque campus of Tsinghua University’s School of Law.
them was another major highlight of the trip. He
was also even able to visit the hotel where his grandparents were married, making up the most memorable moment of his months in China.
Not all aspects of a trip to a foreign country are
ideal. Martin recalls how food quality and food handling practices were an issue for him throughout his
stay; it is unfortunately true that sanitary standards
in food service are different in China, and it is especially difficult for foreigners to adjust to such standards. D