Club International - IFM Alumni China

Dear alumni, 

The different International Groups of the IFM Alumni have shared in recent weeks testimonies on the impact of the global health crisis on their lives and on their professional activity. 

The IFM Alumni China group brings together alumni from China, living in China or even particularly linked to China by their professional activity. 

Catherine Ho (IFM Management 2016) Anthropologist and passionate about China, on which she has been working since 2012, had already proposed a round table on the March of Women in China. 

For this International Club project, we have brought together different voices from the IFM Alumni China cluster to testify about the projects that have been born within the group during this period.

Dear alumni, 

On January 23rd, incredulous, we observed from France the containment of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus. Such a measure is unprecedented in history. The country was preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year. 2020, the year of the metal rat, is supposed to open a new twelve-year cycle in the Chinese lunar calendar. 

To say the least, it started with a bang. The containment extended throughout the region around Wuhan, as well as other Chinese cities. In a country that was idling or even shut down, the festivities came to a halt. Streets and shopping malls, usually so full of life, passers-by and traffic, emptied. On social networks and in the media, the Chinese people were talking about their confined daily lives. All this seemed unrealistic, worthy of a science-fiction scenario. Then the epidemic reached France. We know the consequences.

As I write this letter, France is coming out of confinement, more than a month after China. Many exchanges have taken place within the IFM Alumni's China community. Initially to support the students and to take news. Then unanimity was reached around the idea of taking the time to reflect on events.

After various exchanges with several alumni, I am writing on behalf of the IFM Alumni China community without being Chinese and without living in China. It is important to grasp the polymorphous and yet collegial perception of this incredible health crisis by our Alumni of Chinese origin or working in China.  How did they experience this confinement and how do they see the coming months? 

 "For their part, most of the Chinese abroad have gone through contrasting feelings and perceptions towards their native country. Often ignorant (uninformed) of the facts and their gravity at the very beginning of the epidemic; reserved when general containment was declared in China; irritated by the censorship of communications and the unjust fate of the "Whistle blowers" doctors; grateful and admiring for the dedication of the caregivers, their sacrifice and the efficiency of their organization; reassured when the epidemic in China came back under control; encouraged and inspired by national and international solidarity. ", says an Alumni living in Paris. 

If the observation remains more or less the same among Chinese Alumni, the way the epidemic has been experienced and the emotions it has aroused are much more relative. Those living in France have faced this crisis, separated from their families. Those who had planned to return for the New Year had their trip cancelled. Since the beginning, they have been watching with great attention the course of the pandemic in their country, its arrival in France and then, today, its evolution on an international scale. But their concerns also include the political and geopolitical tensions arising from the epidemic. 

They never stop questioning. The youngest graduates, in particular, fear that these tensions will have repercussions on their lives and their choice to work in France. They fear hasty judgements, cultural misunderstandings and emotional outbursts generated by social networks. Although these concerns are present, many are looking forward to working in a sector that has developed over the years a sincere understanding and friendship for China. 

Others, the older ones, as well as those living in China, are more serene. Is it because they have already experienced SARS in the early 2000s and faced other socio-political turbulence in the past? 

Or because a crisis, whatever its nature, is less difficult to face when you are among your own people, in your own country? It is legitimate that the political tensions highlighted by this exceptional situation raise questions. However, the most experienced insist on the fact that States have always been able to find common ground in the past. Various types of cooperation bind our countries together, despite disagreements and cultural or ideological differences. Let us question ourselves, but let us not allow fear and ignorance to take over. 

The perception of the crisis is shifting, and will continue to change in the coming months as scientific developments and discoveries are made. Everyone agrees that it is far too early to draw any conclusions. 

Finally, questions are also being asked about the consequences of this global epidemic and the resulting economic crisis in the sector in which we work, that of fashion and luxury goods. Here again, it would be premature to draw any conclusions. On the whole, sales will of course have fallen drastically in China and the current crisis is prompting customers to spend with caution. However, are the mechanisms of consumption eroded in the country? Online commerce is dynamic. The coronavirus will have accelerated its growth. Alumni are rather positive about the transformations that will take place in fashion and luxury goods in China. Some are eagerly hoping for more conscious, enlightened and thoughtful consumption, a slowing down of the hectic fashion calendar, and a spotlight on local brands that no longer have anything to envy from European and American brands in terms of creativity and quality.

All of them would also like to welcome the initiatives that have been taken on both sides since the beginning of the epidemic:  

- The spontaneous waves of donations of masks and protective materials from former graduates, employees, families and friends living in China. 

- The involvement of some former students in improvised workshops for the assembly of over-blouses for caregivers.

- The sharing of messages of solidarity and hope throughout the IFM Alumni network and in the companies that welcome graduates, since the beginning of the epidemic. 

Alumni are also at the disposal of students, aware of the difficulty they may encounter in finding their internship or first job in the current context. They unreservedly invite them to contact them for help.

In these exceptional times, the presence of a united collective has never been more important. The IFM Alumni China community agrees that the exchange and sharing of ideas has never been more important. By maintaining this quality dialogue we can reflect together on what we want to build for tomorrow. 

The Wechat IFM Alumni China group has been in existence for a long time and we invite you to join us to discuss. A WeChat publication account of Alumni China has just been launched in Chinese. It allows you to find the IFM Alumni newsletter as well as all updated information. A portrait section will soon be created and you will be able to read a series of interviews of Chinese alumni or alumni associated with China. 

Many initiatives are taken, but we can do more!  Contact us for more information. It's the right time to tell us about our initiatives

Catherine Ho

Anthropologist, IFM Management 2016