Staff Spotlight: Rice Li

Title:
Program Manager

Photos

Rice has been working in education & culture exchange/internship fields from China with foreign students for over ten years, it has given him a very good understanding of western culture.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory was from last year while I was visiting a place called Guilin in Southwest of China, everything there was so natural - nice mountains, rivers, rice fields.

It was so unbelievable when I took a cruise on the river and was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery alongside. I stayed in a small village surrounded by rice fields. It really felt peaceful there compared to the noisy cities.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

From work, I have had the chance to meet many different people from different countries all over the world. By speaking and making friends with them I've gotten to know different cultures and different ways of life.

It has made me more open-minded and westernized, even though I'm still very Chinese but I also look at western thinking from a different prospective.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

In 2010, I met a student called Oley from our program. This year we managed to meet again while she was traveling to China on a business trip. She told me that she was still with her boyfriend whom she met on our program 6 years ago, and she's now working for Confucius college at a University in UK.

Since leaving, she has always missed China, and at her new job, her experience in China is greatly valued. She has had the chance to come back to visit China from time to time.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would choose our teaching internship program, I have always had a passion for teaching. I like being with kids and our company has been running the teaching internship program for over 10 years. The program structure was very well built and everything is very organized.

By being a TEFL qualified teacher, I shall be able to find a job to teach English as a foreign language in another country, which will fulfill my dream of working and traveling.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We are an international company with all staff in high sprit, and we are really building a bridge between the East and West through culture exchange programs.

I'm especially proud of my team when we work together to get through difficulties and we receive great feedback and appreciation from our customers.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Listening to your customer and solving their real needs.