Ruolan Ma began writing for Catalyst in the Fall Semester of 2020. Since then, she has published nine pieces for Catalyst, writing on topics as diverse as the role of nationalism in the Olympics to protest in Myanmar. In recognition of her prolific and wide-ranging writing, Ruolan is Catalyst’s November Author of the Month! You can read more of her work here. Find the transcript of her interview with Catalyst Creative Director Saadwi Balaji below:
Saadwi Balaji (SB): First, I wanted to say congratulations on being named author of the month. I was wondering if you could introduce and tell us a bit about yourself?
Ruolan Ma (RM) : My name is Ruolan and come from Chengdu, China. It’s a city in the southwestern part of China and this is my last year in McGill. I’m studying political science and economics.
SB: So, what topics are you interested in?
RM: I think my interest is kind of broad, like for the last published cycle, I wrote articles about humanitarian crises. I wrote a piece about the Rohingya. I am also interested in topics like international relations. Recently, my interest is in economic development. During the summer work piece about the poverty alleviation program in China and I’m planning to write more pieces like that for this.
SB: And what piqued your interest in economic development and the other topics?
RM: Firstly, I’m studying economics and I’m personally like I want to like concentrate on like this area of study. I’ve taken a lot of courses and they’re all very inspiring. Also, as a Chinese person myself, you see a very rapid economic growth in China in recent years. I’m exposed to a lot of information about their policies and their events. Like China, especially in the rural area, is doing really good in recent years, and they all inspire me to to study and explore. I just want to introduce people and how they realize all these big changes. And I think it’s very important to inform the Canadian audience that, especially because China is kind of like an example of all the developing countries. People are actually curious about how in recent years, all the developing countries are catching up to the developed countries.
SB: What do you enjoy the most about being involved with Catalyst?
RM: I think, last year, I had the chance to work with really good editors. I feel like they’re all very helpful. One thing I love about Catalyst is that they will take your idea seriously. My editors are also very helpful. It’s just they really give you that sense of achievement when they see your initial idea. It grows into kind of cool opinion pieces.
SB: What do you think is your favorite piece for Catalyst?
RM: I think it’s a piece I did an interview with a Myanmar citizen during the military coup. I like that piece because I think it’s a very special experience for me. I got a chance to talk to people at the center of the event and I learnt a lot from them too, because I’ve never been in this kind of situation myself and the writing process is really inspiring for me. You talk to people and then you have to come up with something that is not only concluding what they’re saying, but also, you’re reflecting like what they said. You are thinking: what am I going to do in this kind of situation? And then you’re like, “Oh my God,” you can’t imagine. There’s another kind of world out there so I’m delivering this information to my audience, but at the same time I’m educating myself as well, so it’s a really beautiful process.
SB: And, in the future, what are you hoping to write about?
RM: I want to write more pieces on economic development, but also, actually, in the last year I didn’t write a lot of pieces about China. I think, as I’m Chinese, I have, not only a responsibility, but also I have this advantage. I have more access to information that a foreign audience might not have otherwise. It will be better for me to write more pieces about China. I can maximize my contribution in this way
