UofT

Alumni Profile: Q & A with Fan Li

Former Innis College student, Fan Li (HBA 2009 INNIS) is in his first year at Harvard Law following adventures at home and abroad.

Can you tell us a bit about your time as a University of Toronto and Innis College student?
I spent my first year in the Innis College dorm. Made a few good friends, especially my roommates. I worked a lot, mostly at the UofT Telefund at Chestnut, but also as a research assistant for one of my professors. The people I keep in touch with are those with whom I worked. We were a tightly knit group because we saw each other almost every day, which is rare at a big school like UofT. Innis College was as generous as a small college can be. More importantly, it had an amazing group of staff when I was there. Donald Boere is a saint. There were a few times when I was living hand to mouth, and Donald and Tom Mackay helped me out with financial aid applications, which made a huge difference.
 
You also worked at UofT.  Can you tell us a bit that experience?
After I graduated I worked at the Faculty of Physical Education and Health. I was the advancement assistant to Robin Campbell, who taught me more about fundraising than anybody I'd ever worked with. It was a small office: 5 brilliant ladies, Robin, and me. We were working on the Goldring Centre project then and we ran all sorts of campaigns and events. A lot of people walk away from a job with just resume-fillers, but that office actually put tools in my hands. After I got comfortable doing what I was assigned, I tried to automate a lot of things the previous assistants were doing so I had time to experiment with new ideas.

 
Most people pick Europe for a backpacking adventure.  Why China?  
I backpacked in Europe briefly in 2006. It was great, I intend to go back, but it was also expensive. I chose China because that's where I was born and raised, and I haven't been back for 11 years. I wanted to see the changes, recover my Mandarin skills, and really understand the people from their own perspective. In the West we look at China through a filter and, despite the Internet, what people imagine China to be is outdated. I was curious about a lot of things: censorship, human rights, people's living conditions, how modern Chinese view their history, whether Chinese classical philosophy still had relevance in people's lives, what the new generation thinks of world, what role Internet played, etc. Most of all, I was curious to see how the Chinese thought of Westerners, especially in this era of social media and cultural imperialism.

 
Congratulations on being accepted into Harvard Law!  How has your first year been?   
First semester was busy -- busy reading, busy writing, busy meeting new and interesting people, and busy figuring out what you want to do here. Everyone is smart, at least in something, and articulate enough to tell you all about it. The best times I had, not unlike in undergrad, were the times I sat with people and picked their brains. In one way, Harvard is just like any other school. The student dynamic is the same, as is the intellectual atmosphere, liberal-leaning politics, and that sense of urgency you feel from people in their twenties. But sometimes you feel its uniqueness, and not necessarily in the context of academia or fame. Sometimes there's just an odd, echoing understanding among all the students that we're enjoying some immense privilege, though none of us can quite put our finger on what that privilege means.

What are your plans for the future? No solid plans as of yet. I'm interested in free culture issues, cultural property law, as well as the management aspect of the legal profession. One thing I know for sure is that I want to take more opportunities next year to meet people from other disciplines.