Erik:
我在linkedin上看到你的资料，从2014年9月开始你就成为挪威外交部的实习生（Foreign Service Trainee, Asprirant）,可以向我们介绍一下你目前的这份工作吗？比如，是由谁来负责的？你是怎么加入这个项目的？这个项目一共有多少实习生？
Kai:
I always wanted to work for the Norwegian government and to be a representative abroad for the Norwegian society, because I think this is a good country to work for. It is also a career which involves a lot of international work and communication between different cultures, often using different languages, and this is something that has always been interesting for me.
I applied through the annual uptake of new trainees every year, which is usually a very competitive process. It is a very special recruitment process where you undergo many days of testing, including language tests, psychological tests and written tests. There is also an interview with a group of individuals not working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instead of a regular interview with your potential future boss. This group of people is meant to represent the many interests and sectors in Norwegian society – people from academics, civil society, unions and private enterprises, to name a few. They ask difficult questions about different aspects of Norwegian society and the Norwegian Foreign Service.
（图为2014年挪威外交部招聘的所有实习生，左一为袁明）
Erik:
我还看到你的工作领域是国际经济以及贸易政策，可以描述一下你平时的工作内容吗？
Kai:
When I was working on trade policy, it mostly involved preparing for negotiations in the WTO in Geneva. When I worked on international economy, it was mostly about conducting economic analyses and preparing information for our political leadership when they were travelling. But I was recently moved to the section for climate and environment, where I now work on follow-up of the Paris Agreement.
This summer I will move to India to work at our embassy in New Delhi. There I will work on climate, energy and economy – being responsible for Norwegian-Indian cooperation on these subjects.
Erik:
这个实习一共要多久？结束之后可以留在挪威外交部成为正式员工吗？
Kai:
The traineeship lasts for eight years. The first two years are in Norway. Then we move to an embassy or a consulate abroad for three years, and then we go to a second one for three years. Then we return to Norway and can choose if we want to work internationally or not.
（图为袁明作为挪威政府在国际会议上发言）
Erik:
中国近年来在全世界都有很多的投资，包括挪威。根据挪威媒体的报道，自从2008年起，中国一共在挪威投资了54.5亿，这个数字是瑞典的两倍，丹麦的8倍。你怎么看来自中国的投资？你觉得为什么挪威比其他斯堪的纳维亚国家更加吸引中国投资？
Kai:
I think Scandinavian countries in general are good areas to invest, but there are some sectors where we excel. The energy sector as well as certain raw materials like aluminums are such sectors, and they are also sectors in which China like to invest. China also “invests” with people, seeing as how we are seeing more and more Chinese students and work professionals in Norway.
Erik:
在这之前，你在挪威的难民署（The Norwegian Refugee Council）工作过一段时间，可以介绍一下这个机构以及你在那里的工作内容吗？
Kai:
This was a job in Haiti, after the disastrous earthquake they suffered. The work focused on developing the economy in rural areas, with a focus on environmentally friendly businesses. Haiti is a fantastic country with many resources, mainly within agriculture, tourism and renewable energy, but the country has also suffered many incidents which have delayed its development.
Erik:
让我们来聊聊环境问题吧，因为我看你的硕士论文也是有关可再生能源的，你觉得挪威在可再生能源上还能做什么？可再生能源技术对挪威这样一个依靠传统能源如 石油和天然气的国家意味着什么？
Kai:
These days everyone is talking about “the green shift”, which means being less dependent on oil and having “greener” jobs to support our economy. Norwegian electricity production is actually more than 90% renewable energy, and our state-owned company Statkraft are a world leader in building and operating hydro power plants. But knowledge from the oil industry can also be used in renewable energy. For instance, offshore wind power will depend on the adaptation of much technology we use on offshore oil rigs.
Erik:
最近几年石油价格低迷，影响到挪威的财政收入，挪威政府已经开始动用国家主权基金(Government pension fund)，你怎么看这个财富基金？
Kai:
First of all, the pension fund is, in my opinion, one of the best political-economical ideas from the Norwegian government. Putting all the money in the fund and then only allowing a small, fixed portion to be transferred to the state budget means that we have a buffer that protects us from unstable oil prices. No matter if the income from oil is high or low, the transfer from the fund to the economy will always be stable. This has made the fund very large – more than 7 trillion NOK. I think we are well protected from low oil prices, even if we the transfers this year were higher than the new invested capital.
Erik:
你精通挪威语，西班牙语，法语，以及中文，可以称得上是学霸一枚，学霸就是学习非常厉害的人。你是怎么做到的？
Kai:
I don’t consider myself a very diligent student, but I always chose to study subjects that I find interesting. For instance, languages feel more like a hobby than homework. It took a long time for me to decide what I wanted to study for my master’s degree, mainly because I tried different lines of work in order to find out what I wanted to specialize in.
Erik：
你在法国也留学过，看来你有很丰富的跨文化经验。挪威学生喜欢去国外留学吗？我听说挪威政府很鼓励学生出国留学，是这样的吗？有没有一些和出国留学相关的项目或者资助？
Kai:
Norwegian students all receive loans and stipends to study abroad, just as they receive it to study in Norway. This is the basic financial support given to all students, both for living expenses and for tuition fees if necessary (most schools in Norway are free of charge). I strongly doubt that I would have been able to study at Fudan University or Sciences Po in Paris if I did not have this support, so like most Norwegians I am very glad to have this program.
Erik:
让我们再来聊聊你的家庭吧，你出生在一个跨文化的家庭，你父亲来自中国，母亲是挪威人，那你从小到大是在中国还是挪威长大的？
Kai:
I was born and raised in Norway, but we had many vacations in China. It was also important to spend much time with the Chinese family in Norway. My first time living in China was when I was 18 years old. I did a year of studies at Fudan University when I was 22, and after graduating I stayed to work in China for two years. All in all, I spent four years in China. If I could I would have spent more time there, I enjoy life in China!
（图为袁明及其家人）
Erik:
你觉得父母对你都有哪些不同的影响？你觉得中国和挪威在教育上有什么不同和相同之处？放宽一点讲，中国和挪威在文化上有哪些相同和不同之处？
Kai:
In China, communication is more indirect and context-based than in Norway. This can be confusing for me sometime, because it takes some time to adjust from one culture to another. When I come from Norway to China I guess some Chinese people can think that I am a bit slow and that I need to be “spoon-fed” everything in detail explicitly. At the same time, some Norwegians can think that I communicate unclearly if I have just returned from a trip to China.
I actually change personality when moving from a Norwegian to a Chinese context. In conversations with my Chinese family I find that I talk less and use less body language, and the other way around with my Norwegian family. I also have this experience from the Norwegian and Chinese education systems. In China, I would not ask the professors a lot of questions. In Norway, I raise my hand all the time. I do not have a preference for one culture or the other, and the adaptation I make is almost automatic.
The only area where I feel more Chinese is also when talking about family relations. The idea of having my parents in a retirement home feels very strange to me, I would rather have them stay with me!
Erik:
很多在挪威的华人都很苦恼他们孩子的中文教育问题，你的中文这么好，请问你父亲从小是怎么帮助你学习中文的？有什么好的方法和建议给挪威的华人吗？
Kai:
I think it is very hard to learn Chinese in Norway. In my home we only spoke Norwegian. My father thought that Mandarin was the Chinese language I should learn, but this is not his mother tongue, and it would feel strange if we would communicate in a language that neither of us had as a first language. Instead, I started studying the language when I went to high school. Later, I took a year off in Shanghai to study Mandarin. I went with my brother, and we had to fix everything ourselves. Being independent in China was an opportunity not just to learn the language, but also to learn more about the culture. I think that Chinese society is changing very fast now, and so is the culture. These are things that are better to learn when you go there yourself.
Erik:
你肯定去过中国，这个不用问了。你都到过中国哪些地方？你喜欢中国和不喜欢中国哪些地方？
Kai:
I have studied or worked in Beijing and Shanghai. I have also travelled to many different places, but I feel that no matter how much I see, there are always new places to explore in China. My favorite place is of course Zhoushan, my father’s birthplace. The only problem with living in China is the pollution in the big cities. Having grown up in Norway I like to spend a lot of time outdoors, and this is something I miss when I’m in China.
Erik:
你父亲可以说是挪威华人界的传奇人物，你对他的故事了解多吗？你觉得挪威的华人，或者华人 二代在融入挪威社会上有什么好的建议？
Kai:
My father is a very inspirational figure for me, and the transition he has made to being a successful businessman is something to admire. I don’t know everything about my father’s story – he prefers not to talk too much about the tough times he endured in China and as a young man in Europe – but I know it must have been very hard at times. The fact that he was given an opportunity to settle in Norway and to provide a better life for our family is one of the reasons I want to work for the Norwegian government.
The kind of Chinese people living in Norway used to be a very homogenous group, mostly first generation immigrants who grew up in China and who had difficulty learning Norwegian. These people left China to work and settle down in Norway. In addition to this, we now have second-generation immigrants that speak Norwegian but who have trouble speaking Chinese. These people are more interested in the many opportunities that now exist in China, for work or studies. And lastly, Chinese students and professionals coming to Norway are first-generation immigrants, but the latest generation of Chinese. Unlike my father’s generation, most of these have higher education, speak English and have good opportunities in Norway.
These three groups are very different from each other, but they all have their own kind of connection to Chinese society and Chinese culture. I think that they can learn very much from talking to each other, and so I think that a Chinese-Norwegian society would be a very good idea.
Erik:
Could you also give some advice of how to integrate to the Norwegian society? For example how to get along with Norwegian, what Norwegian cares or not care, what is the hidden rules or convention in Norway, etc.?
可以给一些让挪威的华人更好得融入挪威社会的建议吗？比如如何挪威人相处，挪威在乎和不在乎什么，挪威社会的潜在社会规则等？
Kai:
Since many Norwegians are very keen on returning home after work or studies, it can be hard to engage with them afternoon or evening activities. Many Norwegians are more social when drinking alcohol, over dinner or at a pub or club, and this can be a bit strange to many foreigners. I think the easiest way to integrate into Norwegian society is to engage in truly local activities, such as cross-country skiing or participating in a “dugnad” in your neighborhood. Norwegians are generally proud of these aspects of their society and would therefore be happy to include foreigners.