Lei Jing

Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme

Name:  Lei Jing   
Born: China
Region: Tianjin

Lei Jing and her business partner Hong Tao are both broadcast and media professionals and now have their own media business, Electric Vision, here in Scotland.

They’ve travelled a well-planned route to get to this point. Both studied a BA degree in Broadcast at the Beijing Broadcasting Institute. On graduation, Lei worked for Tianjin Television Station as a programme editor/producer and Hong worked for Tianjin Cable Television and the Hunan Entertainment Channel.

With the booming economy and rapid social changes in China, the media industries are becoming increasingly competitive and both decided that studying overseas for a higher degree would broaden their horizons and give them the opportunities to gain more marketable skills and exposure to new ideas. Initially Hong studied a MA degree in Film and Broadcast Management in Bournemouth and Lei took the opportunity to improve her English language skills before embarking on a post-graduate degree.

Lei’s research led to the University of Stirling - one of the very few British institutions offering a MSc in Media Management and internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for media subjects.

While Lei was completing her studies, Hong successfully applied for HSMP status and began the process of setting up the business. Once Lei completed her post graduate degree she found that the Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme made it possible to stay and develop the business venture. Stirling University offers financial and advisory support to students who have ambitions to run their own business and their idea was put forward for an Innovation Award funded by SURE Ltd, the commercial arm of the university (Stirling University Research and Enterprise) and Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s Economic Development Agency.  They were successful and won the Award and a Business Start-up Grant from Scottish Enterprise.

Lei is very enthusiastic about the FT scheme “Scotland is attracting students from all over the UK and the world so it’s not surprising that it’s a very international society and offers many exciting opportunities.” 

Despite the colder weather Lei wants to stay “I’m falling in love with Scotland and want to make it my home.  I do miss my family back home but with their strong support I can concentrate on my chosen career and achieve personal success.”   Their business, Electric Vision, focusing on media promotion for British interests via media in China is rapidly growing and now that Lei has also switched from FTWISS to HSMP they are both looking forward to staying in Scotland permanently and building up the business and their life in Scotland.

Information correct at April 2007