Andrew Winterbottom

I read the MSc in Contemporary China Studies in 2013/2014. Before arriving in Oxford, I worked as a journalist in China, Turkey and Russia. I learned Mandarin for five years as an undergraduate and put my language skills to good use in dissertation research and fieldwork. I came to the China Centre to indulge in the expertise of the faculty, and was not disappointed. Studying in small groups under the top academics in my field – and engaging them in lively discussions outside class – was a highlight. Another strength of the MSc is student diversity. Some of my coursemates had read China studies at undergraduate level, but others came from disciplines such as business, comparative government and international relations. Every student brought his or her peculiar expertise to our seminars. At the end of the year, I felt my intellectual horizons had been broadened significantly, and that I learned (almost) as much from my fellow students as I did from my professors. Since leaving Oxford I have continued to pursue a career in journalism. I am currently based at Reuters in London, though may be moving to the news agency’s Beijing bureau soon.