By Dr. Dasuni
Jayarathne (2019 Ph.D)
First and foremost, I’d like to thank Communication University of China (CUC) for making my life into the person I am today. I started my Ph.D. journey in 2019 at the Institute of Communication Studies, Communication University of China, Beijing. Receiving a full scholarship to study at this highly reputed and respected institution, known as the home of communication studies in China, feels like a dream come true. I can still remember the day I received the selection notice from CUC. I couldn’t believe that I got a chance to do a PhD in my favorite country in the world. My best life decision was applying for a PhD at CUC.
A Global Family at CUC: Enriching Culture Engagement
I came to CUC in very cozy weather, which wasn’t similar to my homeland. However, I felt as though all the trees, Piaono Lake, and small waterfalls at CUC were smiling, welcoming daughters and sons from all over the world. The class of 2019 was very interesting. We were eight Ph.D. scholars from 7 different countries, such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, France, Russia, Ghana, and Kenya. The environment at CUC fostered a sense of family among us, enabling us to study effectively. We were all like one family, in which we shared knowledge, cultures, and much more information with each other. All of the professors were so kind and friendly that we learned a great deal about aspects related to communication studies. Each and every professor at ICS was very talented and nice-hearted. Honestly, I never felt like a foreign student because CUC treated us equally.
I was so lucky to have a brilliant and kind-hearted supervisor from ICS as my Ph.D. guide. I always mention that Professor Zhang Kai was more than just a Ph.D. supervisor to me. In the Ph.D. journey, the supervisor’s support matters a lot, and I could say I was one of the luckiest candidates who could be her student. With her excellent guidance, my Ph.D. journey became fascinating and unforgettable.
I will never forget the New Year’s Gala in 2020, where I performed on the CUC stage. All the opportunities we had at CUC made our lives beautiful and happy. In addition to the New Year Gala, the Institute of Communication Studies expertly orchestrated the 2019 Christmas party, providing all students with an exceptional chance to relish and embrace life to its utmost at CUC.
An International Academia: Fulfilling Academic Odyssey
ICS has also arranged numerous knowledge-gathering conferences both within the school premises and at other universities, enabling international students to acquire a wealth of new knowledge. I would say CUC is feeding her kids in all possible ways in terms of knowledge, talents, exposures, and experiences.
I always loved my room in building 21, where we Ph.D. candidates had our own space to study very well. Because CUC became my second home, I never felt like I was far from home. During my study, I was an active student, participating in various cultural activities such as dancing performances. Additionally, I was a scholar and actively participated in various school-organized conferences. At the 11th Doctoral Conference, which CUC organized, I also won the best paper award. All the exposure I gained in my life supported me and took me a long way in life. The knowledge gained at CUC was incredible. I believe that I was lucky to do the Ph.D. at China’s top university for communication studies.
After completing my Ph.D., I was granted the opportunity to serve as a visiting scholar at Temple University in the USA, a research fellow at Ghandhi Institute in India, and currently, I am a foreign university lecturer at Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University in China. I would say that all these opportunities have been brought into my life simply because I earned my Ph.D. from CUC.
Last words
Dear CUC, I would like to wish you a very happy anniversary and also wish you a long life to educate many more students from all over the world like me and show them the path to victory in life. I love you so much, and I hold immense respect and gratitude for you forever. Live long!!!!!!
