The review of the Peking University Academic Award for 2020 ended last November and Chinwekele Alli, an LL.M. graduate from STL, was recognized as one of its recipients. The award was accorded to a total of 41 PKU students, 10 of whom are master students. Chinwe was one of the two Shenzhen Graduate School students who received the award. PKU International Students Academic Award is offered by Peking University to international students at PKU who are not only outstanding in virtue but also in their academic field. As a foreign student from Nigeria, Chinwe was the first African student to receive the award.
Chinwekele Alli pursued her first law degree at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. When in law school, Chinwe has developed her interests in international law. “My objective is to grasp in-depth knowledge in the international economy, trade and commerce, finance, tax and intellectual property and especially the knowledge of the laws and regulations in the above fields in the world’s major economic forces like China, the United States, and European Union.” In 2019, Chinwe applied to STL’s LL.M. program and was admitted. The “dual-system legal education” in STL was one of the biggest reasons that motivated her application. “STL offers its students the platform to learn how the law operates in the two largest economies of the world, the United States and China.” Chinwe believed that, with such an education, she will be well-equipped to play an important role in facilitating the economic exchanges between China, Nigeria, and the rest of the world.
Chinwe encapsulates her first year in STL in the word “amazing”. Talking about her eventful year, Chin says, “Being my first time leaving my home country, Nigeria, studying at STL exposed me to different cultures and people. I learned to watch “the dinner for one” [a German tradition] and eat 12 grapes for luck [a Spanish tradition] on New Year’s Eve. I was fortunate enough to witness the celebration of several Chinese festivals and also learned to make some traditional Chinese dishes such as the zongzi, dumplings, and moon cakes.” Chinwe adds, “I love music and China is a country that places great value on music, drama, and arts. I am glad to be a member of the Art Group where I specialize in the violin. In the meanwhile, I was also listed as one of the top 10 singers of Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School.”
Apart from school life, Chinwe tried to get in involved in practical work to prepare herself for her transnational legal career. During the past year, she interned at several organizations, including the International Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai Representative Office, and Shenzhen ANDUN Intellectual Property Limited. “This provided me with first-hand experience of working in China enabling me to learn the working culture of the Chinese people as well as the opportunity to improve my Chinese proficiency level. I plan to pursue my legal career and further develop my experience as an international lawyer. Having already experienced the work culture in China, I believe it would be a great opportunity to work in China after finishing my program.”
Asked about her wishes for the development of STL, Chinwe said: “STL offers its students a unique learning experience and I expect it to grow to be one of the top 5 law schools in the world. I also wish there can be more support from STL to international students hoping to pursue a career in China after graduation.”
In reflecting on her time at STL, Chinwe says, “I had a very good time as a student at STL. Although 2020 was a peculiar year with the spread of the Corona Virus, the impact of the virus on my personal and academic life was quite minimal. This was due to the love and support given to the international students by Peking University Shenzhen. Most especially, I had the best group of friends who added color and spice to my stay on campus especially during the lockdown period.”
Writer：Liu Yishu
