Scholarship / To be the winner. How to write a personal leardership introduction for Chevening schoolarship? [4]

young female leader

I worked in Rector's office of GDUFS for 9 years. Now I'm working as section chief in Research office and the secretary of University Academic Committee. I deal with different people and work under changing condition which help me develop critical thinking capability、project execution capability and time management capability.

One of my most difficult tasks is to lead a team to map out the GDUFS History Museum project and accomplished the museum exhibition in 2010. A former team spend half year to promote two edition project planning but all denied by university rector council. Finally, university rector professor Xu asked me to take over this hard job. It is really an awkward matter for me, because there were resistances at first as this was deemed impossible: lack of history files, different historical assessment and limited time to accomplish. So I spend one week to interview with former draft teams' planner, senior academic and retired administrator, their opinions helped me to focus on two fundamental problems: How to present the GDUFS's motto and refine the history star academics and milestone events will be the major concern. I browse through the history documents and draft a museum building planning for 1200 words and a presenting framework for the design company. This planning and framework were agreed by the rector council initially. And I was appointed as a lead as the museum planning team which was organized by 5 peoples from different divisions. Some of them were senior than me. So the big problem for me is team building. But in China, the elder people value their authority and face specially, so elder teammates were not confiding in me at first and disobey my job timetable planning.

As a younger female leader, I encouraged my teammate to play their strength as team's strength and I would face up team's weakness and "break the ice". I communicate with them as a modestly younger and inspired their passion on the never imagine planning. I arranged a Monday informal meeting to sort out the problems they encounter. We would divide the problems into two categories through meeting discussion: which problems could be solved by team and which problems should need to cooperate with other departments. So I could set work flow schedule of this week to solve such problems and they could concentrate on their expertise jobs. We spend 10 months to finish such an "impossible mission": organizing over forty deeply interviews with senior academics, consulting the archival materials for university history since 1965, accomplishment the museum presenting manuscript in fifty thousand words , verify and improve the entries of historical materials, compilation and collection of archives and objects.

On the opening day of the School History Museum, the old faculty members were moved to tears in front of the exhibition wall. Nowadays the museum has become a special place for freshmen and new employees to learn about the history of GDUFS. And I was awarded the annual outstanding staff in 2011. This hard job give me experience on how to use a sharp perception knowing the area of weakness, response to the need's team and achieve goals upon strategies, which are important for a career female to be the winner .

Scholarship / Setting Up International Networking (Chevening scholarship). [5]

Effective two-way communications

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity, using clear examples of how you currently do this, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future. (minimum word count: 100 words; maximum word count: 500 words)

Effective two-way communications are the most important capability for implementing governance. As a research management, my major responsibility is to evaluate the development and competitiveness of the research institutions and apply for funding. Because I can easily communicate with people whose native language is Mandarin, Cantonese or English. Therefore, I establish well connections with Canton Province government officials, university administrators, and different disciplines scholars.

In globe village era, establishing a mutual trust relationship beyond culture gap is coming to a significant networking problem.In 2016, I visited Lancaster University and shadowed with the head of Research Services Mrs. Fox Yvonne for three months. My research planning was to explore how Lancaster University can survive in a global academic competition and change to be competitive. Mrs. Yvonne introduced REF and Thematic Review to me, which are the original responsibilities framework and revolution policy of RSO. In order to survey the instrument of this two research policy, I need to interview with 18 key staffs or director. Having no idea of English humorous jokes and familiar gossip topic. It is really a challenge for me.

Inspired by my sons' favorite picture book Stellaluna which telling a story about a little bat named Stellaluna make affectionate friends with birds. I proactive find common ground, stay in touch appropriately, and offer my assistance to reap the mutually beneficial results of my foreign colleagues.

Firstly, I learned to use the Lancaster University office network system and outlook software. Before doing the one-by-one interview with Contracts Management, Research Ethics Office, Senate Secretary-General, Research and Faculty Partnership Management. I would send an E-mail to introduce myself and book interviewer's time. After the interview, I send a Thanks E-mail to interviewers. After that, I would communicate with Yvonne to discuss the uncertain question of my interview, and design the next investigation planning.

Meanwhile, I attended every possible conference to make new friends and absorb useful information, such as the Chinese Research Project Forum, Road Map meeting, Research committee meeting, Team restructure and Job Interview. I proactive to be the conference reception staff of the Impact Event and arrange the conference in Lancaster Castle. After busy work，colleagues Gina and Sarah invited me to have a cup of coffee and chattered small talk with me closely. Impact Officer Jacqueline exampled the Essay writing for curing the soldier psychological trauma to explain the literature impact, which renewed my opinion about the social influence and value of literature and humanities. I utilized every possible chance to build up my networking relationships and accumulate first-hand survey information. In spare time, I actively participated in the female running group, shared hand-made Cantonese dessert with foreign colleagues. I even took a documentary photo for Department manager Sarah for her equestrian competition. Depending on sincerely friendship, foreign colleague kindly feedbacks me more than what I want.

There no doubt that my projects were going well. What I wrote in Lancaster University was published in the famous academic journal which was the top 1 of foreign language and teaching in China. I also use the skills and strategies, what I have learned from Lancaster University, to help my Chinese academics organizing new research centers. And most important, the unforgotten experience show me the clue to communicate by human nature and improve my confidence.