Class of 2013 Alumna Ayame Mei Shares her Gratitude with JCU
Ayame Mei graduated cum laude in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
“As a recent alumna of the class of 2013, I would like to share my thoughts and gratitude for the liberal arts education that John Cabot has provided me with.
During my studies at John Cabot, professors have always encouraged me to pursue my interests. In this way, I found myself writing my thesis on the safeguarding of cultural diversity in Xinjiang (a politically fraught area within the People’s Republic of China – PRC). This paper allowed me to explore the historical and political background of the PRC in particular with its ethnic minorities and autonomous regions, as well as international conventions that surround cultural heritage and its application within a municipal system and theories about cultural heritage and sustainable development. All my research was applied to the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves located in Turpan, which intrigued me while visiting the are a in the summer of 2012.
I continued writing my thesis and my research as a visiting undergraduate student at Harvard College, where I took courses on contemporary China with a focus on the Uyghurs. These subjects were not available at John Cabot, but complemented and built on my previous coursework that served as an important foundation for further research and inquiry.
In pursuit of my interests, this summer I joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS)’s initiative in China, hosted by the Chinese Society Of Education Training Center (CSETC) to protect world heritage sites in China, including the Great Wall and the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu.
My interests and the experiences that I have gained would not have been possible without the kind support and encouragement of the faculty from John Cabot University. “
Learn more about studying International Affairs at John Cabot University! John Cabot is an American university in the heart of Rome, Italy.
