The USA China Law Group is affiliated with a Foundation which seeks to promote cultural awareness and economic ties with China.  In light of these objectives, the Foundation has given grants to Chinese students wishing to pursue an education in the United States.  I had a chance to interview two of the grant recipients: Sheng Tong and Xiao Liu.  Today’s blog is dedicated to them.

Sheng Tong
Sheng Tong is a grant recipient of the Foundation while he is earning his Doctorate at the University of Cincinnati.  Before attending the University of Cincinnati he studied at the South China University of Technology where he excelled, receiving a Graduate Registration Scholarship and first place in the Challenge Cup National Contest of Collect Students Scientific and Technological Work at his University.
Sheng Tong is studying for a PhD in micro-electronics and solid-state electronics.  As he explained in his interview, micro-electronics is a technique applying widely on electrical devices micromation.  Micro-electronics is used in any application with electric flow but where the device size is very small.  Solid-state electronics is related to micro-electrics but is much broader area because there is no micro before the word.  It can also be bulk devices or materials that can be used in electric circuits or can change other physical vector like force, light, magnetic field into electric field or current or opposite (they are great candidates for sensor application).

(1) How was your first year in the United States?

It went well, both in studying and living.  I settled down quickly with the help of the other Chinese students.  English became the first obstacle in my courses.  However, after courses in English as Second Language and my extra efforts, I began to more effectively communicate with classmates and professors.  As far as course content, it was not a big problem with me and I am satisfied with my GPA for the year.

(2) Have you met interesting people?

YES, I have to say there are many.
The temporary housing family I stay with, the Harrisons, are so friendly.  My very first days in the US went so well; I got along with them well and I learned many American customs.
The Lings from the Chinese Church are also very interesting people.  They took me to the countryside near Cincinnati to have fun and enjoy fresh air.
My classmate, Webhor, from India, taught me a lot not only academically but also how to behave greatly in ordinary life.
And there is really a lot people I would like to thank to and they made my life interesting and wonderful.

(3) How do you like your professors and classes?

My professor is Chinese and he is a very nice person who is in interested many areas.  Although I have had a few talk with him, mostly on my academic life and research, he has acted like a father leading a child who is learning to walk.  His wonderful experience and knowledge can encourage one to find a suitable way to go, to struggle and keep on it.

I loved classes here.  They are in different areas and you would feel opening your eyes to see a much a wider field that you never explored before. I used to learn in a much narrower field – ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramics. Courses are set based on this topic or more often job-hunting.  I did not receive a general or system courses of education in Material Engineering before I came to US.  Thus, although classes are a little heavy, I still felt great getting to make up my background and foundation.

(4) Where are you planning on going next?

It depends.  I might do a post-doc first and find a faculty position or I will find a great position at some company concerning what I have learned.
I would to find jobs at Shanghai or Hangzhou as I am from Zhejiang and these two cities will be great choices that near my parents living place.  After I graduate, my parents will retire and need my care as they are getting old.

Xiao Liu
Xiao Liu is a recipient of a grant from the Foundation for his education at the University of Michigan School of Law.  He has an outstanding academic record including a Bachelor of law degree from Peking University and a Master of Law degree from Cambridge University.  He has also spent time studying law at Melbourne University.  While studying at Peking University, Xiao Liu and his teammates won the Championship of China for the 2006 Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.  Xiao Liu was personally named Best Oralist.
Xiao Liu started his studies at University of Michigan Law School in 2007, where he has just completed his first year.

(1) Was moving here for the law program your first time to the United States?

No.  I came to the U.S. for the first time in 2006 to attend an international moot court competition in Washington DC.

(2) Have you had any time to explore Ann Arbor during the reputed difficult first year?

I did have a fair amount of spare time besides the admittedly tough studies of first year in law school.  Ann Arbor is a fairly small college town, so there were not many things to explore besides numerous good, yet cheap, restaurants and coffee shops.  In terms of the broader area around Ann Arbor, I went to Detroit and Chicago once for sightseeing.

(3) What do you enjoy as a pastime to get away from academics?

I should feel shamed that I spent much of my spare time watching television shows instead of doing physical exercises.  In addition, Chinese students here at the law school get together with each other very often for dinners and occasional drinks.

(4) You have studied law in China, Australia, and in the UK.  How does the program at Michigan differ?

The substantive content of the legal education is completely different.  The J.D. program focuses on US law, compared to Chinese law, Australian law and international law that I studied in the jurisdictions you mentioned respectively.  The case-law method is relatively new to me as well.  More importantly, the J.D. program is very lecture-oriented instead of independent-research-oriented, the schedule is more demanding and less flexible, and the atmosphere is certainly much more competitive.

(4) What type of internship are you doing for the summer months?

I have been working for a judge at the US District Court for the District of Columbia for my summer internship.  It has been a thrilling learning experience.  My judge is super smart and always willing to talk to the interns.  She assigns me substantive work to do and I get to work on a few high-profile cases.

(5) Do you hope to practice law?

I am planning to practice law in China Mainland or Hong Kong after graduation from law school, but it’s possible that I’ll work in the US for two or three years before going back.  I am interested in cross-border dispute resolution in particular, such as international arbitration and litigation.

(6) Where do you plan on ending up?

After practicing for a dozen of years in order to accumulate experience and money to support my family, I may seek job opportunities in the Chinese government, particularly ministry of foreign affairs given my interest in public international law.

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