In 1978, Chinese was a niche subject studied by a handful of students across the UK. Mao had recently died and access to China was difficult. Against this background, a combination of frustration at the difficulties of learning the language and excitement about China's future led me to travel through Asia to see what could change, and how learning Chinese could be more popular.

Today 100,000 students from China study here every year. Chinese courses are run by 44 UK universities, the Chinese Government funds language institutes on 30 campuses and China's role in the world needs no introduction. Not my doing, but it's mesmerising to be on the cusp of such transformation.

My Fellowship taught me as much about communicating with people, international relations and sharing resources as it did about learning Chinese. My career has spanned roles with companies as varied as Shell International, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Plymouth's The Box museum, but I never lost my interest in and fascination for China. Studying Chinese may have taught me a language, but it also opened my eyes to a different way of looking at the world, a world in which China has always seen itself as the central and dominant player.