Meet Kristýna Hřivnáčová, a current Master's degree student at the University of Turku and an UTUambassador 2023-2024!
"Hiya! I’m Kristyna, a second-year master’s student of East Asian Studies. I come from the Czech Republic, though I studied in the UK and worked in Japan before taking my study of East Asia from a hobby to academia.
I chose Turku because the language courses here are wonderful, not to mention the array of interesting electives. My field is always developing, East Asia being a place with a complex history and – to the uninitiated mind – perhaps peculiar customs. What I find especially great about the way my degree is taught is that we debate current issues and what the future may hold. In an increasingly interconnected world, this understanding of how an area functions and influences others is crucial. This all sounds very lofty which may make my thesis topic seem light-hearted: I write about the construction of masculinity in Japanese figure skating. If you want to hear about it, drop me a line!
The city of Turku has been a great help in making deadlines and readings less stressful. With cafes and many green spaces, I might just stay here in the future. I can’t make any promises, though. After all, I still have a long list of places I want to explore.
If you’d like to chat about Turku, East Asian Studies, moving internationally, or if you are a Tolkien fan, get in touch."
Instagram: @khrivnacova | LinkedIn: Kristýna Hřivnáčová
Kristyna's study experience:
I study in the East Asian Studies Master’s programme. I went for this programme because it offered good language classes and comprehensive overview of the East Asian countries' societies, politics and issues.
The most interesting part of it so far (I've only been in Turku since September) is the Japanese Politics and Society course where we dissect issues like business influence in politics and gender roles. I've learnt a lot and connected many dots thanks to this subject.
I'd like to work in an area that touches upon East Asia, be it translation, diplomacy, a business representative or language teaching, but who knows? I might change my mind by the time my programme ends.
I can't say how UTU is preparing me for my future career - that adventure has not been decided yet! What I can say, however, is that my degree has taught me how to approach complex issues, see different sides of the argument and debate without demeaning. In our current polarised climate, I feel that these skills are vital to navigating the world.
If you are interested in the past, present and future of East Asia, then East Asian Studies is for you. You will get detailed knowledge of the region's current challenges, learn the languages spoken there and be supported in your growth by a group of approachable lecturers and friendly classmates, each bringing somethign new to the table.