Norwegian student’s global journey through education

Tiril Aasen, from Norway, graduated with a BA in International Relations from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in 2024.  She is now pursuing the International Master in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies, spanning three countries: UK, Ireland, and Czech Republic.

Aasen says compared with her current classmates, her biggest advantage is having earned a degree in China. Here’s her story.

Tiril Aasen at the University of Glasgow, UK

Exploring new horizons

Aasen says she’s always wanted to experience a society vastly different from what she was used to.

In secondary school, she studied social sciences, including languages, sociology, anthropology, and politics. These subjected sparked her curiosity about international relations.

“Since I had already begun learning Chinese language and culture in high school, going to China made the most sense,” she says.

After researching programmes in China, she chose XJTLU because it offered English-taught courses in an environment that was both “academically challenging and culturally different”.

The state-of-the-art facilities and campus also helped her seal the deal. “It looked very cool,” she says.

Broadened perspectives

Once enrolled in the programme, Aasen was surprised by how much she gained from the curriculum, with the the academic staff offering far greater insights than she had expected.

She was particularly influenced by two researchers, Dr Afa’anwi Che and Dr Stephen Long, both Assistant Professors at the Department of International Studies.

Aasen says she found the International Politics of Development in Africa module most impactful, where Dr Che introduced her to post-colonial theory. This module also broadened her understanding of global inequalities, particularly the lasting effects of colonialism.

“I got to learn more about African politics and history, dependency theory as well as theories by Walter Rodney from the 1970s, which explained how though colonies no longer exist, large multinational corporations use those old relations to extract resources from former colonies,” she says.

“That added to the perceptions that I had, most of which stemmed from European politics and history and I saw how the same the same ideology could be applied to other parts of the world as well.

“I also wrote an essay based on Dead Aid, a book by Dambisa Moyo, which explained her theory on how development aid is used as a tool to keep African states back instead of helping them develop in a sustainable way,” she adds.

She also expressed gratitude for Dr Long, who supervised her thesis on intelligence studies.

“Dr Long helped me narrow down my topic and figure out what to focus on,” she says. “Methodologically, it was challenging as an undergraduate student due to the lack of opportunities to interview politicians or conduct fieldwork. As a result, I had to rely heavily on documents that had already been used.

“However, Stephen helped me navigate the process by guiding me on how to approach the project, which aspects and questions to focus on, and how to handle it methodologically.”

This research sparked her interest in security and intelligence, fields that significantly influenced her postgraduate studies.

Tiril Aasen (centre, holding two bouquets) posing with her friends on the graduation day in front of XJTLU’s Central Building

International connections

Reflecting on her time at XJTLU, Aasen says one of her most cherished memories is the strong community among international students, and many of the friendships she formed in China remain her closest today.

“There weren’t many students who arrived immediately after the borders opened, so it was easier to make friends,” she says.

“Meeting people from all over the world with different societal backgrounds and experiences helps me learn a lot more about the world and what's actually going on rather than what is only shown on the TV and internet.”

Tiril Aasen (right) and her classmates

After studying in China and meeting people from all around the world, and now pursuing a master’s degree across Europe, Aasen’s perspective on global issues has become much broader and more nuanced.

She has also gained a deeper understanding of international relations and the interconnectedness of global challenges, such as humanitarian aid and migration issues, and she is determined to use her knowledge and experiences to make a difference.

“I hope I can contribute to making one of the many global issues less severe,” she says.

 

 

By Precious Chibeze

Edited by Xinmin Han and Tamara Kaup

Photos courtesy of Tiril Aasen