"I participated in two courses at VU Summer School 2024, Statistic Models for Causal Inference and Transnationalism in Contemporary Society. The former course, with a highly research-based project, was quite challenging. However, thanks to Professor Dr. Sanchayan Banerjee and Jack Fitzgerald’s well-designed instructions, detailed explanations, and positive feedback, everything was clear. I paired up with a Mexican data scientist, who took good care of me. We made a joint effort and eventually did a satisfactory presentation. The course reinforced my knowledge of statistics and the use of R language and let me explore the latest study of the subject.
The other course was a humanities subject, and Professor Dr. Wenhui DING is very kind and open-minded. Since we are from different disciplines, she did lots of additional comprehensive research on her teaching. To experience cultural diversity, we also held some tea parties during the class. At the end of the course, I shared my study and experience in transnationalism related to Cryptocurrency and Fintech. I enjoyed the study atmosphere at VU, where everyone was working so hard on the goals.
Besides the intensive courses, VU also held various colorful events for summer school participants. I made new friends from diverse backgrounds through the orientation day, the bike tour, and the trip to Zaanse Schans (the Windmill Valley). Our freshmen group spontaneously organized events like city tours and gatherings to watch the European Cup. VU provided me with valuable opportunities to develop myself and with great exposure to the international environment. I highly recommend people who would like to experience diversity or improve their professional skills to come and study at VU Summer School. If you have any inquiries based on my experience, please feel free to contact me through my email at wanchzhao3@gmail.com."
