Jian Zhang (MA in Comparative History, CEU 2015, Ph.D. student at the Department of History, University of Michigan)
When I embarked on my graduate studies at CEU, I found myself within more than a well-structured program of historical studies: the department's open intellectual atmosphere with strong interdisciplinarity and global awareness gave me many insights into historical scholarship as well as its pivotal challenges past and present. Besides learning to engage in historical research with a critical spirit and perceptiveness of cultural diversity, my life at Budapest, one of the most vibrant and diverse cities, also benefited enormously from my colleagues as well as the staff and faculty of the university, and it was their advisory, support, and thoughtfulness that made my first journey abroad a superb experience.