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From the beginning, what attracted Juntao Liu to The Australian National University (ANU) was its global ranking and prestige.
As his pursuit of academic excellence progressed, he discovered his aptitude for mathematics at ANU as well as his desire to expand his global perspective.
“I learnt a lot at ANU. Aside from acquiring key academic concepts, I was constantly engaged in various activities across the University that helped me develop a worldly view,” shared Juntao, who set up the ANU Global Vision Society, a student-run organisation that arranges various cultural networking events.
“At ANU I learnt to think creatively and critically. The experiences I had at the University enriched my leadership and communication abilities,” he said.
Before moving to Canberra, Juntao lived in Beijing and the major port city of Tianjin in China.
ANU is among the best universities in the world, its reputation is extremely attractive.
He was drawn to Australia after reading a magazine cover story on the country’s engagement in the region. Juntao subsequently researched Australian universities and zeroed in on the country’s premier institution – The Australian National University.
“ANU is among the best universities in the world. Its reputation is extremely attractive and its led by a Noble Prize laureate (Professor Brian Schmidt). In addition to these reasons, I chose ANU for its impressive alumni including former prime ministers,” Juntao admitted.
Juntao commenced his degree at ANU in 2016, pursuing a Bachelor of Actuarial Studies and has developed a strong awareness in subjects such as corporate finance, risk theory and bayesian statistics.
According to Juntao, aside from the college environment, the support he got from lecturers helped him settle in.
“ANU is a peaceful and safe place to study but my transition from China to CBE was particularly smooth because of my lecturers. They met with me outside of class whenever I needed help. This for me was an important and encouraging part of settling in,” he shared.
Another support system that helped him get through his academic load was the Chinese community on-campus.
ANU is a peaceful and safe place to study but my transition from China to CBE was particularly smooth because of my lecturers.
“The community is tightly knit, kind and enthusiastic to help. We would often study together in ANU libraries and support each other to get through the lessons and the assessments,” Juntao recalled.
Amidst his diverse experiences at ANU, there are two distinct highlights that Juntao found most valuable. The first, a letter of commendation from the University’s Chancellor for his superior academic performance. The other, an opportunity to be the University’s student ambassador at an international university research forum – International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), where he co-presented with students from Yale University.
Established in 2006, IARU is a network of eleven international research-intensive universities from nine countries around the world. The members of this group include prestigious institutions such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and ETH Zurich.
Juntao has also interned with prominent organisations such as Ernst & Young, management consulting giant Bain & Company, and the Bank of China. Through these experiences he feels ANU has shaped him personally, professionally and academically.
Since graduating from ANU in July 2017, Juntao’s pursuit for academic excellence has taken him to another continent. He is currently pursuing a Master of International Economic Policy at Columbia University in New York.
“I’ve gained a solid mathematical and statistical foundation from my courses,CBE has provided me with a macro perspective of thinking that I am now using at Columbia,” Juntao added.
The ANU College of Business and Economics offers an extensive range of specialised programs in Actuarial Studies. Click here for more details.
The photo in this story was provided by Juntao Liu.