Joycelyn Phillip - SLI Participant of 2015
"...do not give up the opportunity when it comes knocking… I didn’t and it was one of the best decisions I made!"
This journey initially began in 2014 while I was completing my LLB at University of the West Indies Cavehill campus in Barbados. I was on the law school’s Facebook page and the advertisement caught my attention. After reading it a few times I became more and more interested as I thought this could be a wonderful opportunity to indeed broaden my knowledge base in Intellectual Property Law and Climate Change as well as to learn about a new culture.
I applied and was accepted and also given a partial tuition waiver which I was ecstatic about as I am from the island of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and funding for programs like these is very difficult to obtain. I vividly remember sending letters after letters trying to obtain additional sources of funding and was unsuccessful. Heartbroken as I knew this challenge made me more determined as ever to participate in the SLI Summer school experience in China.
In April 2015, I reapplied to the program and was accepted and still eligible for the partial tuition waiver, this was great news to me. I took out some loans to cover the balance of the fees as I was not having a repeat of last year, and like a dream becoming reality, I was on my way to China. I had overcome many obstacles and was suddenly amongst people from other walks of life.
The class seminars were mentally stimulating giving us a different perspective to our western ideologies and very informative in understanding the Chinese legal system through the professional experiences of the Chinese guest speakers. I especially liked the structure of the courses giving both width and breadth to professionals and students and there was something for everyone to be passionate about.
The lectures sparked interesting debates both encouraging and challenging us to critically use philosophy, law, policy and other tools to solve issues that have an impact on us and the environment. Professor Paolo Farah’s mentorship session assisted me in recognizing that with the varied degrees obtained in Business Management, Psychology and Law prosperous and fulfilling study/career options awaited me.
I am glad I was given this opportunity to make great friends and gain knowledge in my areas of interest. My advice to anyone interested in the program is this: despite any challenges you may first encounter, if your heart’s desire is to participate in a professional summer program in China, then by all means, this is the program for you and do not give up the opportunity when it comes knocking… I didn’t and it was one of the best decisions I made!
Joycelyn Phillip
November 2015
