On March 26, MIDialogue welcomed two alumni back to SPPM to share their unique career experience.
Keren WONG and Emily HE become the practitioners in international development area after graduation from Tsinghua, who are dedicated to improving education for migrant workers’ children in China. Facing almost 30 international students from current MID and IMPA programs, they started the dialogue from their inspiration by MID program. As Chinese Americans, they chose Tsinghua to pursue their graduate studies because they wanted to know more about China. The courses and field trips offered by the program, made them have deepen insights of China’s development and quickly found out the common interests. Sharing the similar academic backgrounds in education and getting known unfair and poor education condition for children of migrant workers in China, Keren and Emily decided to start their internships in this specific area. However, unlike other MID students who completed their internships in governments, NGOs, international organizations or companies, they co-found their own organization, BEAM, a NGO seeks for education equality. After graduation, they stay in China to continue their career. Keren is still working for BEAM as the CEO, and Emily is working for another NGO, Gege Jiejie Project, which also provide sponsorships for schools open to migrant workers’ children.
Emily (Left) and Keren(Right) in the Dialogue
From education reform to NGO operation, Keren and Emily shared lots of interesting experience from their real work. Both of them are very honest about the challenges, like fundraising, networking and so on. Even though, they would love what they are doing which started from MID program, and finally are able to be successful “Education Reformers” in the near future.
MID students raised some technical questions regarding project implementation and tried to find some clues for their incoming internships. New IMPA students were more interested in China’s social problems that Keren and Emily mentioned, like the imbalance between urban and rural areas. In the end, the two groups all enjoyed the dialogue, which provided an opportunity for them to learn something beyond their academic studies.
Keren at BEAM's 2nd Anniversary
