Ivana Gunawan

(Indonesia)

College of Material Science and Engineering

Master – Materials Procession Engineering

Ivana Gunawan dresses in traditional Chinese clothing. [Photo/WeChat account: DHU-ISO]

Who says work-life balance is hard if your university provides it all?

China has been my dream country to pursue higher education, especially within one of the world's best textile institutions: Donghua University. My first impression of this university is its numerous high-level publications and well-equipped instruments that can support multidisciplinary research. Under the supervision of Professor Zhang Yumei, I devoted myself to the study and research in the master's stage and benefited a lot within the first academic year, from gaining basic knowledge and running various instruments after completing training from college to writing journals, joining international conferences, and even being able to take part in several writing competitions. I also found that my Chinese language proficiency has improved significantly with the help of my Chinese lab mates, even though the teaching language of my program is English.

Ivana Gunawan at the 11th International Conference on Advanced Fibers and Polymer Materials. [Photo/WeChat account: DHU-ISO]

I did not only focus on studying but had a work-life balance throughout the process. The university provides international students with many activities, such as three days of visiting other cities to learn about Chinese culture, joining the international cultural festival (where I can learn about other students' unique heritages and foods), taking part in clubs (fun weekly meetings for hobbies such as soccer, photography, archery, taekwondo, etc.), submitting my photographic works – I really love photography – to annual photo or video contests, and much more! I also have fun with my friends during the weekends, like visiting parks and eating around Shanghai. I think my life would not be as colorful as it is now if I had not chosen Donghua.