Peiran Liu, PhD in Sport Exercise Science and Therapy
Why did you choose to study at Kent?
I came here to conduct my PhD program and it is because of my supervisor Dr Geoffery Kohe, I read his article and profile online and felt that his research interests are quite match mine so I tried to contact him and made my application. I am lucky to be here and also I knew that University of Kent is a great university and having campus in the European cities as well.
When you arrived on campus, what were your first impressions?
I was surprised by the atmosphere at Canterbury campus; it is a wonderful study place for me and absolutely loves the library, sport centre and other facilities as well. Also Medway campus are great too, the drill hall library are having fantastic study places with huge book database.
What impact has Covid-19 had on your studies?
My project has been delayed since the Covid-19 outbreak; it directly affected my interview recruitment. It’s complicate to get virtual interview far from here and also it’s hard to going back to China under travel restrictions. Therefore, I shifted part of my research aims and rationale which turned my data collection into more focusing on documentary data.
What is your experience as an international student?
As an international student, I found that the toughest issue would be the language. It won’t always been easy for people using their second language to complete a PhD thesis. I overcome it by attending workshops and read various kinds of books. The other thing is to join different societies and that will help you to adapt your life at the University.
What would you say to someone thinking about studying at Kent?
University of Kent providing people great atmosphere to study, the most attractable thing is that it has two different campuses with fantastic facilities. It also provides shuttle bus between two campuses which provide convenient campus life for all students.
How did you find the supervision process?
My supervisor is Dr Geoffery Kohe. We have our supervisory group meeting every week and we maintain a good communication cycle, which ensures he knows what I am doing. Geoff is always there whenever I need him, he always provided me with feedback as soon as he can and I am happy to assist him whenever he needs me. He’s looked after me not only in academic research but also in daily life as well.
What is your area of research?
I was previously conducted research in my master’s degree identifying how cultural differences would impact football club management after purchased by a foreign owner. My current research interest is corporate social responsibility agenda and good governance practices within Chinese professional football, the impact between Chinese business culture, and the reform of the Chinese football industry.