Xiao Ying

Xiao Ying graduated from the University of Waikato-Zheijang University City College (UW-ZUCC) joint programme in 2015 and is now running her own family business, Tea Culture Space, alongside her mother.

The Bachelor of Business student says she misses her student days, but loves every part of her work.

Originally from Zhejiang Province, Xiao chose to study at the UW-ZUCC joint programme to gain a unique learning experience. Throughout her degree, she learnt to think creatively and build relationships, as well as improving her English communication skills.

“Studying with the University of Waikato promoted my oral language skills and helped me to become more confident talking to others,” says Xiao. “Also, learning about different cultures made me more open-minded, which is a really important skill in the workforce.”

Xiao became involved in many aspects of university life, including the CFA Institute Research Challenge, a global competition that offers university students intensive training in financial analysis and mentoring. Representing the University of Waikato, Xiao won a prestigious certificate for outstanding investment research.

After graduation, Xiao started working at the United Overseas Bank (UOB), a Singaporean bank in Hangzhou. Here, her language skills paid off, and she won the Annual Star of UOB Hangzhou Award for achieving the top sales in her branch.

“Studying in English at university came in handy because all oral and written communication at the bank was also conducted in English. Because of my studies, I was confident and managed to build relationships more easily.”

At the end of 2016, Xiao resigned from UOB to join her mother and help run Tea Culture Space, a traditional Chinese tea house. Enthusiastic about Chinese culture, Xiao enjoys meeting a wide range of people every day and passing on traditions to younger generations.

Although most of their customers are domestic, Xiao hopes to extend the business one day and sell Chinese tea to international markets.

“Maybe one day we could sell it in New Zealand!” says Xiao. “I enjoyed studying with the joint institute and would love to go back to New Zealand one day. My advice for all current ZUCC students is just to enjoy the experience and make the most of all opportunities!”