Jing Li

As a native Chinese who majored in English in college, I came to appreciate education in a cross-cultural context from early on. My interaction with students from diverse cultural backgrounds through various exchange programs fostered my interest in comparative education. After obtaining my bachelor’s degrees in English and Economics from Peking University in China, I entered Stanford’s ICE/IEAPA MA program in order to further explore my academic interest in a world-class intellectual environment. Here, I received much more than I had hoped for.

The emphasis on research distinguishes the ICE/IEAPA program from many other master’s level programs. Distinguished faculty members combined with Stanford’s abundant academic resources provided a unique opportunity to cultivate my research skills through the MA paper project. The well-rounded coursework in both research methods and the practice of policy analysis also benefited me tremendously. Within one year, I went from having no formal research experience to being able to understand the essence of excellent research and being prepared to conduct research of my own. This would not have been possible without the exceptional mentorship I obtained from several ICE/IEAPA faculty members, including Professor Wotipka, Professor Carnoy and Professor Adams.

The wider Stanford campus also has many opportunities to offer. While I was in the MA program, one of my friends in the ICE PhD program introduced me to Dr. Karen Eggleston of the Asia Health Policy Program, who graciously offered me a research assistantship. It was through this research assistantship that I was given the opportunity to assist with assessing the impact of higher education on mortality in China from 1950-80. And it was through this same research assistantship that I became interested in health policies. After graduating from the ICE program, I became a research analyst at Acumen LLC, a private research company specializing in health care data analysis led by Stanford faculty Thomas MaCurdy. While at Acumen, I decided to apply for PhD programs in health policy. My professors in the ICE program continued to provide me with great support during my application process, for which I have and will always be grateful.

I began doctoral studies at UC Berkeley’s Health Services and Policy Analysis program in 2011, with a focus on Health Economics. Although my field of study has changed, I have more than ever felt the profound intellectual impact of the ICE/IEAPA program. My research skills and knowledge obtained from the program, such as how to approach a research topic and what constitutes rigorous research are extremely useful and transferrable across fields. They prepared me well for a doctoral program that is equally challenging. Moreover, the interdisciplinary nature of the ICE/IEAPA program has taught me to view problems from different angles, which is very helpful in my current doctoral program since it is also interdisciplinary. I continue to be fascinated by the comparative aspect of policymaking and have focused my research on health policy in developing countries, especially China.

In retrospect, my one-year study in the ICE/IEAPA program at Stanford has significantly changed my life trajectory. The rigorous training, the intellectual stimulation, and the incredible support from both faculty and cohort will accompany me forever. I sincerely hope that my story will help you make the right decision of choosing this program and writing a story of your own!