What exactly is a "haiguipai?" Many people have no idea what the term really means let alone where it comes from. Hamilton sophomore Qi Ge not only knows what a "haiguipai" is, but may become one some day himself. According to Qi, the word refers to "those Chinese citizens who received college or advanced degrees abroad and came back to work in China." Ge will study haiguipai with the assistance of a student-faculty collaborative research grant from Hamilton's Asian Studies program. He hopes to understand in what ways the Haiguipai cotnribute to the economic and technological booming in China and how their educational and life experiences abroad shape their political attuitudes and values. He will examine different causes beneath this phenomenom, including Chinese government policies in attracting these students back. Qi received both a Freeman Grant and a Luce Scholarship, two different summer research grants, to work on this project.
He explains: "A native speaker of Chinese, I am fluent in Mandarin and Shanghainese (dialect in Shanghai) as well as English. Currently studying in the States, I received Chinese education all the way from primary school to high school. All these factors form a 'common language' with those 'Haiguipai,' which provides great convenience to the project." Working with Professor of Government Cheng Li, Qi plans to investigate how these "haiguipai" contribute to China, whether their contributions are social, technological, economic, or political. As the term "haiguipai" is actually a new term in the Chinese language, he believes the study of this new social term will help scholars and Westerners alike in understanding contemporary Chinese society.
According to Qi, "in today's global economy, especially after its joining the WTO, China has an increasing need of those who acquired advanced knowledge from universities abroad and are familiar with local economic and political environment in China. Therefore, it comes no surprise that Haiguipai are now playing key roles in various walks of life in China". Qi, as a possible future Haiguipai, believes his research will help his own personal career planning, as well as his native Chinese peers.
