Continuing her journey in China: Malaysian alumna heads to Peking University

For Malaysian alumna Wei Qin Oh, studying at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) opened the door to new cultures, perspectives, and possibilities.

This year, the BA Business Administration alumna received an offer to pursue the Master of Management programme at Peking University HSBC Business School, marking the next chapter of her journey in China.

Like water, she has learned to adapt to different environments without losing her essence. Her experience reflects the spirit of openness, curiosity, and resilience – qualities she now carries with her as she takes her next step forward.

Wei Qin Oh at the XJTLU graduation ceremony

A decision rooted in identity

For Oh, choosing XJTLU was not only an academic decision but also a connection to her personal background and future aspirations. As a Malaysian Chinese person, she has always maintained a close relationship with Chinese culture.

“Studying in China aligns with my future plans and allows me to better understand the environment where many of these business connections are built,” she explains.

That instinct proved well-founded. XJTLU’s Sino-British identity offered her a space where different cultures and perspectives met. For her, this was more than an academic setting. It allowed her to deepen her connection with China while continuing to develop an international outlook.

Overcoming the language barrier 

But cultural closeness didn’t always translate to language fluency. When Oh arrived at XJTLU, one of the things she hoped to do was improve her Chinese.

“The biggest challenge I faced was the language barrier,” she shares. “Even though I am Malaysian Chinese, I did not grow up speaking fluent Mandarin.”

Rather than letting the language barrier hold her back, Oh embraced the opportunity to practise. Within two months of arriving in China, she had become more comfortable with the local environment and noticed a significant improvement in her Chinese communication skills.

Her outgoing and approachable personality also helped her settle in. She was willing to step outside her comfort zone, meet new people, and engage with the people and culture around her.

That willingness to adapt soon became more than a way to navigate daily life. It also set the tone for how she engaged with everything XJTLU had to offer academically.

    Wei Qin Oh presenting at the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Negotiation Competition held by XJTLU’s International Business School Suzhou

Building an academic foundation

As a Business Administration student, Oh found that her programme leaned towards management-related knowledge but still had a solid baseline for quantitative subjects. It was only during her application process to Peking University that she recognised how important a strong foundation in analytical skills would be.

“The moment really clicked while I was writing my personal statement and reviewing my academic background against the programme’s curriculum. I realised that management and leadership isn’t just about big ideas, you actually need the quantitative skills to back them up,“ she says.

Fortunately, XJTLU’s curriculum had already equipped her for that shift: courses in economics, finance, statistics, and market research became valuable experiences that strengthened her understanding of business decision-making and prepared her for postgraduate study.

Beyond the classroom, Oh benefited greatly from the practical, industry-facing opportunities at XJTLU. One particularly meaningful experience was the Summer in Company Consulting Projects, which allowed her to work on real-world business challenges and develop practical consulting skills.

“Instead of just doing research on paper, I got to work alongside industry managers, executives, and university professors on live business challenges,” Oh explains.

She took part in the programme two summers in a row – first with Bosch in 2024, where she helped find ways to make factory operations and shop floor layout more efficient, and then with Shanghai Haixin Group in 2025, where she worked on financial market analysis to support the company’s investment strategy.

“Both times, it was really satisfying to see what I’d learned in class apply to real companies. This experience helped me a lot during my application, too,” Oh says, highlighting how hands-on learning opportunities at XJTLU strengthened her academic profile.

Her Final Year Project (FYP) became another important milestone. She studied how construction firms decide to enter foreign markets, using Malaysia as a case study – research that later inspired and contributed to her research proposal for Peking University.

“That made me curious about how firms build those capabilities in the first place,” Oh explains. “At Peking University, I want to take that further and study how companies from emerging markets build the capabilities to expand between China and Southeast Asia, where the business environment can be quite different from what they’re used to.”

Looking back, Oh believes the FYP is more than just a graduation requirement, it can be a strategic stepping stone. Her advice to upcoming Year Four students is to pick a topic with your future goals in mind.

“I knew I wanted to pursue a master’s degree in management, so I worked backwards from that and chose a topic that would support my application,” she says.

Looking towards the future

Although Oh has not yet finalised her long-term career plans, she sees many possibilities ahead.

With her background in business and her understanding of both Malaysian and Chinese cultures, Oh hopes to explore opportunities that allow her to connect different markets. She is especially interested in developing her entrepreneurial journey in Shenzhen, one of China’s most dynamic innovation and business hubs.

Whatever direction she takes, Oh carries with her a lesson she says has shaped her more than any single module or project: the value of showing up fully for whatever she does.

“Whether it is working, studying, or doing anything else, Chinese people always approach things seriously and put 100% effort into what they do,” she says.

This work ethic – often described in Chinese as tàtashíshí, meaning to be down-to-earth, steady, and fully committed to one’s goals – is a mindset Oh credits XJTLU with helping her build.

And with this quality, along with the resilience and real-world experience she has gathered along the way, Oh is ready to step into her next chapter.

Wei Qin Oh (second from right) with her friends at the graduation ceremony

By XJTLU Career Centre, Cecilia Ellen Liong, and Xinmin Han

Edited by Patricia Pieterse

Photos courtesy of Wei Qin Oh