On the occasion of the Festival of Excellence, Southern Utah University students, faculty and staff showcased their scholarly work and academic research, this Tuesday, March 31.
The event featured a variety of presentations such as poster exhibits, performances and discussion topics. Aurianne Poirot, a senior at SUU, was among the presenters.
At 9 a.m., she gave a presentation on how former Supreme Leader of China Deng Xiaoping’s economic reform transformed the country socially and culturally. It was then followed by a second presentation at 10 a.m. on how cultural understanding is a comparative advantage in international business.
“I really like presenting at the Festival of Excellence,” said Poirot. “It’s a lot of stress and preparation, but I’m really proud that I’m able to do that. Especially because my mentor, my friends and colleagues come to support and listen to me. It is a really good experience.”
As a business management major with a minor in Chinese and a certificate in international business, Poirot combined her greatest interests in her presentations.
In the first, she explained China’s cultural context before and after Xiaoping’s economic reform, which opened the country to the international market in 1978.
These reforms helped China grow economically, but they also changed many of the traditional values and social structures. Poirot relied on the films Platform by Jia Zhangke and Shower by Zhang Yan to illustrate these points. The movies highlighted the changes happening at that time and the emergence of a hybrid cultural identity in China.
After the presentation, Poirot opened the floor to questions from the audience. To answer some of them, she talked about her own experience in China with the SUU Study Abroad Program.
Since 2013, SUU’s Festival of Excellence has provided participants with the opportunity to discuss their work with attendees and prepare for professional life.
“I’ve done the Festival of Excellence before, last year, and I also went to UCUR,” explained Poirot. “I definitely think that’s one of the benefits of presenting at conferences, especially at SUU. You don’t have to go far for it. It’s classrooms that you already know, and you can just learn how to present and to cope with stress nicely.”
For more information on the Festival of Excellence, visit its website.
Author: Fanny Felixine
Editor: Payson Davis
Photos by Fanny Felixine
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