Qi Zhang graduated from the MASIA program in 2015 and will begin his Ph.D. in Government at Georgetown University in fall 2017. When Qi began writing his Master’s thesis in his second year at the MASIA program, he says “I found myself really enjoying the process. I never felt spending time in the library, reading, collecting data, and keeping writing painful or boring. I enjoyed it very much.” Qi refers fondly to a spring break he spent at Lauinger Library, “I spent the whole spring break at Lau, but I was happy. When I developed my own theory and used it to explain many controversial phenomena, I felt excited and accomplished. I just thought doing research was the thing I liked and I was good at it.”

Consequently, Qi began researching Ph.D. programs after graduation. “I never thought I would be an academic,” Qi says, “I was hoping to work for the Foreign Ministry or a think tank. I think one good thing about the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown is that it offers students both academic and professional training, which helps students find what they really want. MASIA is both a perfect terminal degree for those who want to work, and an excellent stepping stone for those who want to do a Ph.D. Qi advises future students to take their time “and think carefully about whether or not you really want to do a Ph.D. It’s a big commitment.” He also advises students who are committed to pursuing a Ph.D. that they should “take more 7-level courses within the Asian Studies and the Government departments.” Moreover, “taking Dr. Cha’s thesis course and writing a good research paper is also extremely helpful.”