After completing Senior Middle School in Zhejiang, I decided to further my studies in the UK and in September 2002 I joined the Business Diploma programme at HIBT. The great thing about HIBT is it’s location on the campus of the University of Hertfordshire, only 30 minutes from central London. I frequently visited London to enjoy the fantastic shopping in Oxford Street, the many Chinese restaurants and supermarkets, and the fabulous entertainment available in the city’s famous West End.

The course at HIBT prepared me for the demands of the University degree programme at the University of Hertfordshire. HIBT gave me the skills, knowledge and most importantly the confidence I needed to succeed at university in the UK. After completing the diploma programme, I entered year 2 of the BA (Hons) Business Economics with Information Systems at the University of Hertfordshire. The University of Hertfordshire is one of only a few UK universities that have been assessed as ‘Excellent’ for the teaching of business by the UK government’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the quality of the teaching was indeed really excellent. In 2005, I graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with an Upper Second Class honours degree, which is one of the highest classifications that can be awarded to a graduate of a UK university. Because I gained a very high degree classification, I was able to apply to top universities in the UK to take a masters degree. I chose the University of York where I studied MSc Public Economics and graduated in 2006. When I returned to Shanghai I obtained a very good job in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank specialising in offshore banking and I am still there at present. I am returning to the UK soon for my graduation ceremony at the University of York. My parents are so proud of what I have achieved and I can honestly say that the help I got from HIBT is a major reason for my success. So, thank you HIBT- thank you for the wonderful teaching, thank you for the great preparation and thank you for the warm and friendly service I received while I studied with you – a special thanks to Sandy who was so helpful, so patient, and so kind to me.