EMAIL DETAILS

SHOULDNT' you say Mandarin instead Chinese? I made minor edits but I think it is really well done.

Naomi Biden
From the time I was two until I was 15, my cousins lived in Taiwan during the school year and spent their summers with me and my family on Lake Michigan. Eachsummer I listened to them speak to one another in Chinese and agonized over trying to figure out what they were saying. I became obsessed with learning their “secret language.” So, in seventh grade, when my school provided the option of learning a language other than Spanish, I enthusiastically signed up for Chinese. At that young age, I had already begun to develop a desire to understand the world beyond the borders of the society in which I was raised. Over time, that desire has only became stronger.
While studying the Chinese language in middle and high school, I also gained exposure to foreign affairs from my Grandfather, Joe Biden. His profession, earlier as a Senator, and now as Vice President of the United States, has allowed me considerable opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. In 2011, I traveled with him to China, Japan, and Mongolia. One of my Grandfather’s primary objectives during this trip was to establish an agreement to improve the relationship between the United States and China and present a united front against North Korea acquiring nuclear weapons. Shadowing my Grandfather as he engaged in these discussions and negotiations, I learned that good diplomacy involves utilizing shared interests and common goals to establish a relationship despite cultural and political differences. I believe that a Masters Degree in international relations would put me on a path towards acquiring the diplomatic skillsthat are necessary to improve and maintain international cooperation and facilitate positive global action.
Although the intricacies of diplomacy that I observed in Asia were critical additions to my education, the most powerful moment of this 2011 trip occurred at a dinner that then Vice President Xi held for my Grandfather. The dining room was filled with approximately 300 Chinese government officials and heads of businesses. As I sat down and looked around me, I was immediately struck by one thing: my mother and I were two of only three women in the entire room. That observation made a lasting impression on me. From that day on I have wanted to learn why only one Chinese woman was included in a room of 300 of the country’s leaders. This experience opened my eyes and planted the seed of what would become a focus of my studies over the last four years: the injustice and inequality that persists not only abroad, —but also in America. As I got older, I came to understand just how much my Grandfather’s knowledge of international affairs and foreign diplomacy has contributed to his successful fight against the abuse of power. An abuse of power that condones, and sometimes encourages oppression, and gender discrimination that persists around the world. Inspired by his work, I declared a major in international relations at the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, my studies have only further opened my eyes to the extent to which women are underrepresented in politics, business, and international affairs. This reality continues to inspire my studies and professional aspirations.
During the summer of 2014, I received an opportunity to study foreign affairs from yet another angle. In addition to my experiences traveling the globe with my Grandfather and my academic pursuits at university, I also did an internship at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). This internship exposed me to the amount of research and analysis that is required before government’s can form and execute effective foreign policy. My work at CSIS afforded me an entirely different perspective on international relations: the role of an academic policy expert, as opposed to that of the statesmen. I worked with policy experts who either had a focus on different areas of the world, from Asia to Africa, or a focus on different facets of international studies, from cyber security to military strategy.
During my three months at CSIS I attended dialogues and forums on global issues, ranging from U.S. foreign trade strategy to corruption and it’s impact on emerging democracies. Attending these events provided me with exposure to the current academic and political discourse on the most pressing issues facing virtually every region of the world. In addition to attending and organizing events I was also tasked with helping to digitize a report by national security expert Anthony Cordesman. This entailed transforming the report to include interactive elements with the aim of making academic research more accessible to a general audience. The project showed me how technological advancements are revolutionizing the way information is communicated. Overall, my time at CSIS taught me the power of academic research to make unique contributions to policy discussions and debates in the field of international relations. I hope that by continuing my formal education, I will be able to combine my past experiences with international politics with a more sophisticated level of understanding of the history, concepts, and theories upon which the field is based.
Over the course of my undergraduate education I have studied international security, foreign diplomacy, development and globalization, and the histories and cultures of states and peoples all over the world. I have developed deep interests in political and economic development, human rights, gender studies, foreign policy and East Asian culture and society. My drive to understand the roots of inequality has led me to take several courses on gender and development, and to explore the impact of economic integration and globalization on the status of women in the workforce in India in my senior thesis. My research thus far has lead me to hypothesize that globalization has to some extent exacerbated preexisting gender inequality in the labor force. I plan to conduct a quantitative statistical analysis to test my hypothesis and hope to have the opportunity continue to study gender inequality in my graduate program.
My experiences traveling have also inspired me to continue to study how women are being effected by contemporary issues. This January, I traveled to the World Economic Forum where I spent time learning about the ongoing refugee crisis. I asked questions, listened to experts, and was introduced to cutting edge strategies for raising awareness and catalyzing action. I then traveled to Turkey where I met and listened to refugees tell their stories. One of the women whom I met shared with me that although she had worked as a college professor in Syria, present circumstances have left her with no other option but to work as an illegal laborer, making minimum wage, doing a job she is entirely overqualified for. While this woman’s struggle is representative of some of the challenges that refugees around the world are facing, her story especially resonated with me. Despite her commitment to her career and to education, her control over her life and ability to provide for her family had been taken from her. I returned from Turkey with a refreshed determination to focus my career on working toward a world in which such injustices do not exist.
As the global economy has become increasingly integrated, and as transportation and technology have advanced, the world has become even more interconnected. For that reason, I believe an understanding of international relations and transnational processes is more critical than ever before, and I am confident that continuing my studies is a crucial next step in my education. However, the goals I am setting for myself are more than professional. My family has instilled in me the value of a lifetime devotion to public service. I plan to use my education to follow in their footsteps and focus my life on working towards eliminating and preventing human rights violations and gender inequality.
I am applying to the London School of Economics because the graduate students represent virtually every nation in the world – I would be surrounded by people with unique perspectives, opinions and experiences. The masters program would enable me to continue to research and study how conflict and security impacts women. Additionally, I would learn the core concepts, theories, and ideas of international politics from some of the most influential experts in the field. Having the opportunity to obtain both an understanding of the nature of international politics at large, and pursue my specific interests would broaden my future professional opportunities. I want to continue to be inspired by an environment where internationalism is celebrated and global conversations about the challenges we face today are facilitated. My educational path began with my inspiration at age 13 to learn Chinese. My subsequent determination to major in international relations, my choice to write my thesis on gender inequality, and my desire to follow my family’s commitment to public service, have ultimately lead me to my decision to pursue a masters in international relations. I want to continue on this path at the London School of Economics.


Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 4, 2016, at 7:01 PM, NAOMI BIDEN <nbiden@sas.upenn.edu> wrote:
>
> going to send soon so please look over
> <Personal Statement for LSE Final Draft.docx