2005 – Miss Phyllis TSANG

MSc in International Relations

When I had the good fortune to receive the scholarship I had been working as a reporter for the Ming Pao newspaper for seven years. I had become increasingly interested in the social and political news and routinely covered issues like the right of abode, human rights, Article 23 and those sorts of topics. I felt passionate about constitutional development and democracy in Hong Kong and was active in the Hong Kong Journalists Association. By 2003 the time was right to take a sabbatical to reflect on my experiences and to learn more about the issues for which I cared so much in a wider, international context. Studying abroad seemed to give me the chance to learn more about my topic, more about the world and more about myself. Bristol certainly gave me the chance to do all of that; the house I lived in was a United Nations in itself with graduate students from Kenya, Norway, Greece and Taiwan. I loved the city and all its facilities and the fact that everything was so much more affordable than it would have been in London. Movies, a nationally renowned theatre company, the cafes and restaurants by the harbour and so many things in walking distance of each other. The historical side of the city was also very appealing to me, just strolling around was a pleasure enjoying the old buildings – much better than the modern stuff! I even chose to write my thesis in the Wills Memorial Library because its traditional character created such a scholarly environment to work in. Now I am back in Hong Kong and these days am a senior reporter on the South China Morning Post news desk – still fascinated by the world around me and with wonderful memories of my year in Bristol.