Reuben Todd: Knowledge of China critical for our future

Christchurch-based Young Leader Reuben Todd’s interest in Chinese language and culture stems from when he was a teenager. He says, “I started thinking about how important China and knowledge of China will be in the future. Mandarin seemed like a fun thing to learn.”

Reuben and a school friend from Shanghai were discussing what they would do when they finished high school and this conversation eventually led to an invitation to stay with his friend’s family in China. Reuben’s first trip to China was in January 2008, for five months. During this sojourn he made friends, learnt some Mandarin, did a series of interviews for Beijing Radio 774 and, moreover, volunteered for a Chinese ecological NGO based in inner Mongolia.

Currently, Reuben is studying toward a BA/LLB at the University of Canterbury. He is still learning Mandarin Chinese and was recently awarded a Mandarin Scholarship to take language classes in China by Asia:NZ in association with the Confucius Institute. Reuben travelled to China in late 2009 to take up this one-month scholarship.

Reuben has been well-immersed in Young Leaders’ Network activities since he became a member one year ago. One particular highlight was his involvement in the Christchurch Emerging Leaders Forums in June of this year. At this forum Reuben discussed the conventional and unconventional forms of education that could advantage students incorporating more of an Asia-related focus in their schools. In September 2009 he spoke at another Emerging Leaders Forum in Taranaki. Reuben also attends regular YL cluster meetings in Christchurch and works as a content writer contributing stories and profiles to the Young Leaders section of the Asia:NZ website.

In his spare time Reuben enjoys jive dance, tramping, music making and filmmaking. Following his trip to China last year he volunteered for a Hungarian-Australian documentary filmmaker in Australia and he is interested in pursuing this area further.

Reuben is of the opinion that one of the most important issues with regard to relations between New Zealand and Asia is the concept of a "New Zealander" and the varying ways in which people interpret what this means. Perhaps there is a documentary film in that…