Miriam Quarticelli – SLI Participant in 2013

I never considered the possibility of moving to such a different country, but after one year here, since I came to China, I can say that I made the right decision.”

Original Italian language

I decided to attend the edition of the Summer School in 2013, during my last year of University, at the Faculty of Law of the University of Milan, motivated by the desire to know a new different reality from the European one and because of the interest of contemporary issues: climate change and Intellectual property Law, with focus on China.

I cannot forget my first impression when I arrived to Beijing: everything was completely far and different for what we are used to. None understood me and I did not understand them. I have always travelled a lot, but never push me so much far in the East.

Fortunately, despite this first bewilderment, I found a very interesting country, with several contradictions but with its own charm. A month spent at Summer Law Institute has been intense, in terms of hours of study, but satisfying, because it allowed me to know and deepen related issues to my career.

An interesting part of the program provided to attend seminars, in which experts from different fields (legal, economic, members of the European project) and participants of the previous editions of the Summer School, told their story, explaining what prompted them to come to China and what it means live and work here.

During one of this workshop, I knew the Chiomenti Partner attorney, Sara Marchetta, then Vice President of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (currently, she holds the same position at the European Chamber); so, I decided to apply for an internship of six months at the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce in in Beijing.

My internship was not a continuation of the Summer School because I preferred to graduate from the University and starting with the new year.

Immediately, the internship proved as a challenge. The work consists mainly in organizing events, publishing newsletters and press releases, support service to Italian companies in China or those who would approach to the Chinese market.

It is a motivating environment because it offers the chance to get in touch with important people on the Italian entrepreneurial scene in China.

At regard, I was lucky to attend the organization of one of the most important events for the Chambers of Commerce: the Area Meeting of the Asian region. This event is held annually in different countries, and 2014 was the year of China. Chairmen and Secretaries General of the Chambers of Commerce of the major Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, India and even South Africa arrived to Beijing. The event went very well, and was a great networking experience also for the interns.

More approaching the end of my six-months internship, more I felt that my experience in this country does not have to end, and in September I went back and I got a job at one of the most important law firms in China with offices around the world.

The work is different from what I would have done if I had decided to start the legal practice in Italy. Here, the lawyers are involved in questions of extra-judicial legal affairs, and the goal is to create a network of contacts between Chinese investors and, in my case, the Italian side, supporting in mergers and acquisitions of companies.

Currently, in addition to having followed a practice of Joint Venture between an Italian company and the Chinese one, I am dealing with the organization of a workshop, "Investing in Italy". The idea is to propose a workshop, which will address the main areas of investment for the Chinese market in Italy, with the aim of attracting more investors, raising the Italian market on the world stage.

As in all working environments are required commitment and professionalism and the workload can be very intense, but if you are willing to accept these “small sacrifices”, the rewards will come.

In conclusion, I can say that this would not have been possible without my participation in the SLI, because I never considered the possibility of moving to such a different country, but after one year here, since I came to China, I can say that I made the right decision.

Miriam Quarticelli

 Original Italian language

Ho deciso di partecipare all’edizione della Summer School nel 2013, durante il mio ultimo anno di Università, presso la Facoltà di Giurisprudenza dell’Università degli Studi di Milano, spinta dalla voglia di conoscere una realtà profondamente diversa da quella europea e di approfondire delle tematiche che mi hanno sempre interessato e di attualità: i problemi legati ai cambiamenti climatici e il diritto industriale, con focus sulla tutela della proprietà intellettuale in Cina.

Appena arrivata a Pechino, non posso non negare che l’impatto sia stato molto forte.

Durante i miei anni al liceo e all’Università ho sempre viaggiato molto, ma senza spingermi così tanto a Est. Quello che ho trovato è stato un Paese particolare, dalle molteplici contraddizioni e con un suo fascino, così diverso da quello occidentale.

Il mese trascorso in Summer School si è rivelato inteso a livello di ore di studio ma soddisfacente, perché mi ha permesso di conoscere e di appronfodire tematiche legate al mio percorso di studio e di ascoltare, direttamente dagli interessati, le storie di chi, in Cina, ha deciso di fermarsi e di investire il proprio futuro.

È stato proprio l’incontro con l’avvocato Sara Marchetta, partner dello studio legale Chiomenti, allora Vice Presidente della Camera del Commercio Italiana in Cina (attualmente ricopre la stessa carica presso la Camera Europea), che mi ha invogliato, successivamente, a presentare domanda per uno stage di sei mesi presso la Camera del Commercio Italiana in Cina nella sede di Pechino.

Il mio stage però non è stato un proseguimento del mese estivo in Summer School poiché ho preferito tornare a discutere la tesi e partire con l’anno nuovo.

Lo stage si è rivelato fin da subito una bella sfida. Il lavoro consiste prevalentemente nell’organizzazione di eventi, pubblicazione di newsletter e rassegna stampa, servizio di supporto alle aziende italiane in Cina oppure a quelle che intendono avvicinarsi al mercato cinese. È un ambiente motivante soprattutto perché offre l’occasione di entrare in contatto con personalità importanti nella scena imprenditoriale italiana in Cina. A questo proposito, ho avuto la fortuna di partecipare all’organizzazione di uno degli eventi più importanti per le Camere di Commercio: l’Area Meeting della zona Asiatica. Questo evento si svolge annualmente in un diverso Paese e il 2014 è stato l’anno della Cina. Sono arrivati a Pechino i Presidenti e i Segretari Generali delle Camere di Commercio dei principali Paesi asiatici, fra cui Giappone, Corea del Sud, Thailandia, Vietnam, Singapore, India ed anche Sud Africa. L’evento è andato molto bene, ed è stata un’ottima esperienza di networking anche per gli stagisti.

Più si avvicinava la fine dei miei sei mesi di stage, più sentivo che la mia esperienza in questo Paese non doveva finire e così, a settembre sono tornata e ho trovato un lavoro presso uno dei più importanti studi legali in Cina con sedi in tutto il mondo.  Il lavoro all’interno dello studio si differenzia da quello che avrei fatto se avessi deciso di iniziare la pratica legale in Italia. Gli avvocati si occupano degli aspetti stragiudiziali delle vicende legali, e l’obiettivo è quello di creare una rete di contatti tra investitori cinesi e, nel mio caso, italiani affiancandoli nelle operazioni di fusione, acquisizione di società. Attualmente, oltre ad aver seguito una pratica di Joint Venture tra una società italiana e una cinese, mi sto occupando dell’organizzazione di un seminario il cui tema sarà “Investing in Italy”. L’idea è di proporre un workshop, nel quale verranno affrontati i principali settori di investimento per il mercato cinese in Italia, con l’obiettivo di attrarre maggiori investitori, rilanciando il mercato italiano sulla scena mondiale.

Come in tutti gli ambienti sono richiesti impegno e professionalità e il carico di lavoro può essere molto inteso ma se si è disposti ad accettare questi piccoli sacrifici, le gratificazioni arriveranno.

In conclusione posso dire che tutto ciò non sarebbe stato possibile senza la mia partecipazione alla Summer School, poiché non avrei mai preso in considerazione la possibilità di trasferirmi in un Paese così diverso, ma a distanza di un anno dal mio arrivo in Cina posso dire di aver preso la decisione giusta.

 

Miriam Quarticelli

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