Shuhui Chen Interview
Shuhui Chen Interview
(English translation of the interview appeared in Xiamen Info)
Shuhui Chen, an undergraduate student at University of Virginia, presented the paper titled “Demand for Consumer Durables in Rural China” with Professor Steven Stern (University of Virginia) and Ping Yan (CCER, Peiking University) at the Symposium of Contemporary Labor Economics hosted by the Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics, Xiamen University, in Xiamen, China, on December 13, 2009.
The Chinese government launched a government subsidy project aiming to expand sales of household electrical appliances in the rural area, and this paper, which will also be Shuhui's senior year thesis, is about Chinese rural residents’ demand for durables. Prof. Stern, who also serves as Shuhui's advisor, was intrigued by this topic and decided to invite Dr. Ping Yan from CCER to join us in this research.
As a graduating junior at UVA who originally comes from northern China, being able to study abroad at a prestigious university in the U.S., work with a world-class economist and present her research in an established international conference is undoubtedly a substantial achievement. We interviewed her after the conference to know more about her experience as a Chinese student who tries hard to survive and thrive in a foreign culture.
Like many modern Chinese, Shuhui Chen is the only child of the family. However, unlike many over-protective Chinese parents, hers have given her the liberty to make her own decisions. She went toSingapore for high-school education at the young age of fifteen. Living alone in a foreign country at an age that is still considered as a child in China, fast growing up was a painful experience. In Shuhui Chen's case, even language was a challenge. Homesick also almost killed the young girl. However, she learned to become self-motivated and independent throughout the process, which eventually leads her to cooperate with Professor Steven Stern on this joint research.
Shuhui Chen is a very enthusiastic person who is willing to share her own experience with others. “If you cherish a dream, what you need is persistence,” and “It is necessary to make good use of the scattered time to do what you are truly interested in. It is wise to prepare early and choose a correct position for yourself.” That’s exactly what she has been doing for all two years. “Sometimes when I was so busy at class and projects, I hardly slept before 5 in the morning.” She told us. But it is always rewarding when you get something done after hard work.
Her participation in economics research started in her the third semester in UVA, when she worked for Professor Steven Stern as a research assistant on his project for the Virginia Comprehensive Service Act. During the project, she worked with the CSA administrative data to create a reasonable price series and assembled population data to create spreadsheets. This experience working with real life data, together with her solid mathematic background (she is double majoring in economics and mathematics) equipped her with strong analytic foundation and also a data processing skills.
Motivated by her fruitful experience at UVA, Shuhui Chen is currently applying for a PhD program in economics in North America. “When I look back I feel it was so worthy. I hope sincerely that during the rest of my time in Virginia, I can cherish every minute and make it an enduring memory in my life,” said Chen. We wish her much success and happiness in the future.