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Maryam Sekandary on a medical research internship in China

May Fourth Square at night

Statue of Confucius, Qufu

The beach in Qingdao

Maryam Sekandary’s first trip to China was on an exchange while she was in high school. By the end of it, she was reluctant to leave, but knew she had to return someday. Maryam wanted to see a different part of the world, and China didn’t disappoint. As a neuroscience major, when she heard of the opportunity to participate in a medical research internship at the in , she jumped at the chance. A potentially expensive trip became an affordable one thanks to the . 

“There were a lot of funding opportunities — I got funding from the China Institute, CLIC and CSC. I basically had a three-month trip to China completely funded, and I was doing research and having a blast!" 
 

CLIC makes China accessible by providing funding to students looking to study abroad in China. “Getting accepted through CLIC was really easy. Everything seems kind of daunting while you're doing it, but it was kind of straightforward. I also had a lot of help.”
 

Maryam worked at a neuroimaging lab, where she worked on various projects, from monitoring brain activity in children with autism to testing the efficacy of a plant extract as an antidepressant. Unexpectedly, Maryam developed some of the most meaningful friendships of her life with her co-workers and her friends in the dormitories. 
 

“They’re such genuine friendships. My friends in the dormitories took such good care of me. You know, you come and go places and you don't really know what you're doing. I remember I was so anxious and nervous because, how was I going to navigate the place? But they helped guide me and also gave me room to be independent.”
 

While she worked in Jinan, Shandong’s capital, she had the chance to explore the rest of the province. Maryam excitedly talks about what she calls one of the top five moments of her life, when she saw the ocean up close for the first time. Her supervisor had invited her and her co-workers to the 2023 Academic Conference of the Shandong Anatomical Society in the vibrant port city of Qingdao. At some point during the three-day conference, after a long day of attending research presentations, they went to the beach. Maryam grew up in Winnipeg, far away from Canada’s Pacific coast. As a result, her first feel of the ocean was an especially profound experience. 
 

“I remember I stood on the beach and took off my shoes. I'm just imagining, like, what's on the other side because it was actually the first time I'd seen the beach in person. Have you ever missed a moment while living it? That's exactly what it was like. It was so wonderful.”

What one person grows up with every day and doesn’t think twice about, another remembers for years after. Maryam underestimated the impact that something as tangible and yet nebulous as the ocean could have on her. The people we meet, even in transient situations, can deeply move us. It’s often the unprecedented moments, however, that mark us. Those moments, fleeting and significant all at once, are the ones that stick with us forever. 
 

If you’re considering travelling to China, and your cursor is hovering over that apply button, don’t hesitate. Just CLIC!