In 2018, Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program student Sarah Nicita '20 traveled to Xiangxi, China. As an Edward Guiliano ’72 Global Fellow, she spent the spring researching the socio-economic development of textile production in the area. Here, she reflects on her experience and its influence on her work.

What was a highlight of your experience in Xiangxi, China?

I was honored to have met with government officials, designers, scholars, and entrepreneurs in addition to visiting three museums and four manufacturing sites. These meetings and visits yielded incredible insights: I was able to both directly observe and learn from the oral and written histories about the rapid economic development of Jishou. Challenges in terms of logistics and communication did arise, but this did not take away from the power of the overall experience - which was only made possible by the graciousness of our hosts and the monetary support of the Guiliano Fellowship.

Moving forward, how will your work be influenced by what you learned during your Guiliano Fellowship?

Even with months of pre-planning, one week of fieldwork could not begin to distill the resources available in Jishou. I would consequently approach my future engagement with this topic with a much more comprehensive perspective by working with various institutions and individuals on site for a longer period of time. An important lesson here was that structured on-site engagement provided an irreplaceable dimension to my understanding of the subject. 

The travel opportunity provided by the Guiliano Fellowship allowed for me to learn within a very different environment, confront unexpected challenges and participate in an international academic collaboration.

To find out more about the Edward Guiliano ’72 Global Fellowship, visit the program page on our website.