The Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau’s (MCVB) International Incentives Coordinator, Jenna Lipshut, will head to China next week, where she will participate in five months of intensive Mandarin language studies, as a recipient of the Victorian State Government’s Hamer Scholarship.

The program, which provides funding for recipients to study in China, is part of a Government initiative designed to build the Chinese language skills of Victorians across a range of industries, while also promoting greater cultural understanding, and strengthening links between Victoria and China.

Ms Lipshut is one of only 11 recipients of the inaugural scholarship and said she is looking forward to improving her language skills in China and the benefits it will have for her career.

“My existing knowledge of the language, coupled with the continued growth of the valuable Chinese inbound visitor market to Australia, has helped shape my career direction and motivated me to further my skills,” she said.

Ms Lipshut will call the city of Nanjing in Jiangsu Province home during her time in China, and as the only scholarship recipient to have elected to undertake a homestay, hopes complete immersion in the local culture will further assist her learning.

“I had a strong desire to live with a Chinese family in order to fully engage myself and be encouraged to speak Chinese on a daily basis,” she said. 

“I also plan to join a local sports team to meet people close to my age, and I am also looking for options to give back to the community by way of volunteering in my spare time.”

Ms Lipshut will finish up her studies at Nanjing University, rated as the sixth top university in China, in February next year, after which she will return to MCVB and resume her position in the International Incentives team, where she plans to implement the skills she has learned.

“I hope to return to MCVB and make a significant contribution to planning and executing our China strategy, as well as sharing my knowledge with the Victorian tourism industry, to boost overall inbound Chinese visitation to our state.

“I would like to thank MCVB for supporting my application and in particular Edwina San, General Manager Commercial Partnerships, for her diligent assistance during the process.”

Karen Bolinger, Chief Executive Officer of MCVB, said the organisation fully supports Ms Lipshut’s efforts to improve her Chinese language skills and her desire to further progress her career.

“We are very proud of Jenna and believe she is a standout recipient of the Hamer Scholarship.  Jenna has a real drive to grow her skill set and improve the direction of her career and we wish her all the best for her time in China.”