Personal Statement

　　Program Applied: East Asian Studies

　　“What is the essential role of economics in a given country’s social life? Why many proven theories of economics have failed to apply to China’s economic conditions?” Those are just some of the questions that I constantly pose to myself during the past few years of my undergraduate program in economics at XX University of China. Economics, as a rigorous system of generalized models that aim to be universally applicable, has repeatedly proved its efficacy in explaining general issues in economic life. But when applied to the specific economic issues in a particular country or region, its value becomes seriously undermined due to the distortions and interventions resulting from such factors as historical tradition, social conventions and political system. As a Chinese student, I have an especially strong feeling about this situation.

　　In the special and complicated social environment which is China, the lack of an in-depth understanding of the non-economic factors that affect the present social and economic life of the country makes it difficult for me to devote to the study of economics as my lifelong career, even though my academic training is designed to prepare me for such a career. I simply do not see much realistic significance or feel any true motivation. Such a dilemma has led me to considerable confusion, because my initial intention in choosing economics as my major was to gain insights into many fundamental problems of China by applying analysis of economics. It is such a delight for me to find that the University of XX offers Master’s program in East Asian Studies, which is characterized by a wide coverage of research subjects and practical applicability of research findings. I believe this is the very solution to my present dilemma and frustration, hence my determined application for this Master’s program.

　　As early as my middle school education, I have developed a strong interest in social studies and have demonstrated a correspondingly outstanding academic performance in the relevant subjects — history, political science, and philosophy. When I entered the senior middle school, I chose to concentrate on humanities and with due efforts I succeeded in becoming the top student in my grade. By the time I graduated from the school, I was given the special privilege to enter XX University of China, arguable the best university in China in social sciences, with the exemption from the otherwise requisite national university entrance examination. I chose to major in economics, a subject that I then thought could enable me to make direct contributions to the improvement of social welfare.

　　In the heavy and competitive coursework, I relied on diligent efforts and effective study strategies to achieve a high overall GPA (4.4)，with particularly satisfactory performance in the specialty-related courses, which can be indicated by the scores in my academic transcript. My solid academic foundation I have laid in economics will definitely serve as a useful stepping stone leading me to an equally outstanding performance in my proposed degree program in East Asian Studies.

　　While concentrating on economics, I continued with my special love for other subjects of social science and have tried, through self-education, attending optional courses and even auditing, to broaden my overall academic horizon by venturing into sociology, Asian history and philosophy. I also learned how to search for useful information out of a bewildering wealth of technical materials in the library and to make full use of the library resources to carry out some tentative research. In addition, I volunteered to take part in research projects headed by some of my teachers as a way to maintain my persistent interest in broad sociological issues and to improve my ability to perform standard academic research.

　　Under such circumstances, it is easy to comprehend how excited I am when I discover that the program of East Asian Studies will allow me to combine my professional knowledge of economics with my research interest in broad sociological issues in East Asia.  As a student from China, I have a deep understanding of China’s thousands of years of historical and cultural traditions. I have a relatively deep understanding about the social and economic realities of other East Asian countries. My knowledge about the East Asia as a whole will be my unique asset in undertaking this program in East Asian Studies.

　　While feeling very proud of the rapid social and economic development of China over the past two decades, I am also deeply concerned about some inherent social and economic issues of China such as unemployment, the rich-poor polarity, the failure to fully implement the rule of law, the slow progress in political reform, the unbalanced social and economic development between the eastern and the western regions of the country, the status of ethnic minorities, and loss of traditional values and moral standards, etc. Underneath the increasing material prosperity lie some alarming social problems. I would also like to explore the successes and failures of traditional Eastern Asian culture in the modernization campaigns. I am convinced that it is pointless being simply worried about the existing problems and blame people for those problems. It is more important for me to acquire the necessary academic foundation whereby to search for effective solutions to those problems.

　　I have long admired your esteemed university for its significant achievements in the teaching and research of East Asian Studies. I believe that in the academic environment of your university, which is at once liberal and rigorous, and under the effective guidance of my prospective supervisor, my interest and research potential will be given the fullest development. In addition, your instructive teaching will allow me to perform creative research concerning the subjects I am interested in. My Oriental background, my experience of the social and economic development of China—the largest East Asian country—over the past decade, and my academic foundation across a diversity of academic fields will all render me a competitive applicant for your well-respected program. My only wish is that my application will be seriously and favorably considered.

　　增加体育科学：10071

　　Personal Statement

　　Intended Program: Recreation and Leisure Studies

　　The Martial Art (wushu) and the Technique of Deep Breathing (qigong) constitute an integral part of Chinese traditional culture and one of the essential cultural legacies of the world civilization. Even now, those two ancient health-building techniques are still indispensable in facilitating people’s health. Yet, it is regretful to notice that they seem to have stopped developing in the modern era. I believe that the best way out of this dilemma is to integrate those two traditional health-building techniques with the latest research achievements of western recreational and leisure studies. I believe that by undertaking a Ph.D. program in recreation and leisure studies at your esteemed university, I will be well positioned to make contributions to this integration.

　　I completed my undergraduate and postgraduate programs respectively at xxxx Institute of Physical Education and xxxxx Sport University, arguably two first-rate sports universities in China. I first majored in the Chinese martial arts then in Chinese traditional Taiji and health Qigong. This systematic and rigorous educational background has given me a necessary academic foundation for your program. My 7-year education allowed me to not only learn the theories and the skills in my specialties but also gain insights into the essence of the wushu and qigong—the perfect union between the physical and the mental. In two programs, I was particularly fascinated by a number of courses such as Martial Arts Serial Exercise Training, Taiji Boxing, Health Cultivation Qigong, Yoga, Exercise Physiology, Sport Medicine, and Sport Anatomy. I benefited from the martial arts training, taiji boxing and qigong exercises by deriving the spirit of perseverance and the pursuit of an active and balanced life characterized by a tactful aggressive attitude. In this way, I maintained a tranquil state of benign physiological-psychological cycle. Energetic and aggressive, I made efforts to win academic successes one after another.

　　Entering the xxxx Institute of Physical Education as the third top student in my province in that year’s national university entrance examination, I maintained a leading position in my academic performance, not only winning scholarships (available only to the top 5%) every year but also receiving the honor of Outstanding Student, Outstanding Graduate and Excellent Intern. With top scores in the qualifying examinations for the postgraduate program, I was enrolled intoxxxxSport University. As a postgraduate, I had ample teaching assistant experience. First, I taught taiji boxing and health cultivation qigong to undergraduates. Then, because of my sound English proficiency and interpersonal skills, I worked as a teacher of taiji boxing and health cultivation qigong, on behalf of our university’s Foreign Affairs Section, to foreign students and taiji-qigong fans from France, Canada, the United States, Japan and African countries. In addition, I was a voluntary teacher offering free taiji-qigong trainings to the elderly people at Martial Arts Association of China Academy of Sciences and xxx Ever-Green Geracomium. All those activities helped me accumulate important teaching experience and raise my service awareness.

　　The research I have done in writing my undergraduate thesis and postgraduate dissertation is closely aligned with the program I am currently applying for. Entitled The National Characteristics of Chinese Martial Arts, my undergraduate thesis demonstrates the underlying cultural features and the healthcare medical effect of the martial arts—their ability to temper one’s psychology and cultivate one’s temperament in addition to their direct health cultivation through physical exercises. My Master’s dissertation focuses on the Philosophical Characteristics of Chinese Traditional Sport Health Cultivation Practices. By an in-depth analysis of the theoretical premises of Chinese traditional sport practices, such as “the supremacy of prevention”, “parallel development of internal and external mechanisms,” and “equal emphasis on mental and physical cultivation”, the dissertation offers an interpretation of the philosophical basis of those practices. I also examined how those philosophical principles are embodied in the actual practices. I applied an interdisciplinary approach in writing this dissertation, soliciting constructive comments from senior professors in Chinese medicine, arts, social sciences, and, of course, sports.

　　My work experience since the completion of my Master’s program is related to sports administration as I have been working at the Center of Health Qigong Administration, State Administration of Sport. Our center is a governmental organization devoted to providing consultations to elderly citizens concerning sports activities and exercises. Apart from drafting major government policies, I have taken part in important academic activities over the past two years. I have been a member of a research team on two research projects sponsored by the State Administration of Sport and other relevant departments—Creating and Standardizing Certain Health Qigong Practices from Chinese Traditional Health Cultivation Forms and Evaluating their Physical Effect and Research into the Current State of Public Health Qigong Activities. For the first project, I have received the National Award for Sports Science and Technology Advances. In addition, I have co-authored four books published by the People Sports Publishing House, including Tendon Changing Classic of Health Qigong Practices (please refer to my Resume for detail). I have also attended important academic conferences, acted as research assistant and trainer. In this way, I have developed valuable practical experiences, enhancing my teaching, training and research abilities.

　　In my proposed program, I am deeply interested in studying recreation and leisure. My work experience shows that Chinese traditional health cultivation practices like qigong and martial arts, themselves recreational and leisure events, have sound preventive and therapeutic effects. It is a pity that, without scientific guidelines, we have not made full advantage of those important resources. The underlying reason is that we have not been able to perform systematic and comprehensive research. Another reason is that, even though people now enjoy much more spare time than ever before, they have little idea how to spend their leisure and undertake recreation in an intelligent manner. I hope that I can help people understand the importance of the principle of “LIVE WELL THROUGH HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.” I also hope that, through your program, I can continue to broaden my administrative knowledge so that I can ultimately facilitate recreation and leisure activities through government and community channels.

　　I would like to apply for admission into the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation of Indiana University. Your program of Recreation and Leisure Studies offers an interdisciplinary study that encompasses a rich variety of subjects ranging from Recreation Management to Leisure Behavior. You have advanced facilities, mature curriculum and effective research methodologies, thereby providing a sound condition for me to carry out my studies and research. I would like to concentrate on Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation Administration, Recreational Sport Management, and Leisure Studies, Leisure and Health, Leisure and Healthy Lifestyles, Leisure and Aging, Sports for Seniors. I am particularly interested in Therapeutic Recreation because I hope to focus on exposing the socially underprivileged people, that is, the weak and the elderly, the patients of chronic and deeline diseases, the handicapped and the mentally retarded, to a satisfying leisure lifestyle by practicing yoga, taiji boxing, qigong, and martial arts.

　　I wish that your program will develop me into a researcher, administrator, teacher and/or counselor in recreation and leisure who can treat and rehabilitate people in need by using recreational sports and therapeutic recreational services. My undergraduate and postgraduate specializations and my work experiences all point to my qualifications as a worthy candidate for your Ph.D. program. I believe that my Oriental background, especially my understanding of traditional Chinese philosophy and my skills in Yoga, Taiji boxing, Qigong and Martial Arts will be a unique contribution to the diversity of your program