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A Â鶹ƵµÀ Leicester (DMU) student has been invited to share her experiences of China to encourage others to study in the country.

Sitira Williams became passionate about China after a two-week trip with and recommends fellow students take advantage of similar life-changing opportunities.

She was asked to join – which aims to extend and deepen the engagement of British students with China after they return home – on LinkedIn, attending its inaugural event in London.

Sitira said: “I felt very pleased to be there, as it was a great opportunity for me to network and build relationships with other people who had also travelled to China.”

The event celebrating the ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations was jointly organised by the British Council and the Chinese Embassy in the UK, and included the announcement of new study scholarships.

The student said: “I strive to share my experience with others to encourage opportunities that could change their life.

“One thing of interest was the discussion on the barriers and challenges with the relationship between the UK and China, and what we can do to help provide a positive mind-set towards the opportunities that China can bring to us all.”

The Generation UK: China Network is a key element of a larger British Council campaign that supports and encourages outward mobility of British students. Sitira has discussed the many positives from her trip with #DMUglobal – the university’s programme offering students a valuable international experience – with the group.

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She said: “When I was in China, I was able to experience a culture that was non-Westernised, which helped to develop my relationship with other cultures, thereby allowing me to relate to people from different backgrounds. 

“The highlight was attending the British Chamber of Commerce, where I met with general and regional managers from companies such as British Airways, Crowne Plaza and United Kingdom Education Centre.

“I also completed a Chinese language course, which stirred up a passion to learn to speak mandarin fluently.”

This is not the only international experience the 22-year-old has enjoyed with DMU. She spent a year at the University of Cyprus, through the Erasmus+ programme, which enables students to study at a partner university in Europe.

She said: “This was an inspirational, eye-opening experience which I would do all over again, if I could.”

Now in her final year, Sitira first chose DMU because of the “quality of teaching, modules relating to her career path and positive experiences of friends”.

She hopes to stay on after graduating to study for a , which she believes will give her the skills needed to become a Market Researcher, either in the UK or overseas.