Senior Susannah Pratt will graduate from the University of New Hampshire in May 2007 with a dual major in international affairs and political science and an Asian studies minor. She grew up in Garmisch, Germany. What began as a study abroad semester in Shanghai in 2006 extended to a summer research project funded through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF Abroad) program. “Everything I read and saw concerning migration in China was completely eye-opening and new to me,” she said. “What left the strongest impression on me was the resilience of the migrant workers, particularly their determination to improve their lives in the cities albeit with little help from the government.” By focusing her work on migrant workers, Susannah discovered “how many variables and intricacies contribute to the wider politics and social dynamics of a state as large as China.” She found her research experience highly satisfying and was astonished by how emotionally involved she became by studying something so in depth. Susannah also experienced a terrific sense of accomplishment in being able to conduct interviews on a sensitive matter in a foreign language: “Conducting research in China not only strengthened my passion for the country, but it also motivated me further to improve my language skills. Being able to communicate confidently in a foreign language opens up hundreds of doors, and allows you to develop friendships and trust which otherwise would not be established.”
After graduating from UNH, Susannah’s primary goal is to become fluent in Mandarin. After that, she says, “both government and private sector work interest me, and I could see myself working on bilateral relations between the U.S. and China.”
Lawrence C. Reardon is an associate professor of political science and coordinator of the Asian studies minor at the University of New Hampshire. A frequent mentor, he also serves as Susannah Pratt’s advisor for the international affairs/political science dual major. “I was thrilled to have a student carrying out research in China using Chinese,” said Reardon. “Susannah established an excellent working relationship with local scholars and was able to begin to investigate the tremendous changes taking place in China and especially Shanghai,” he continued. “I can only imagine that this will be the first of many trips to China for Susannah.” Dr. Reardon specializes in international relations and international political economy, and has taught at UNH since 1991.
Read Susannah Pratt's research article, A Country on the Move: Realities, Reform, and the Future of Rural to Urban Migration in China >>
