In China, all eyes are on Bond Alumnus Cameron Andersen, who, in addition to working as a commercial investment lawyer for over three years, has managed to host China’s version of the popular TV travel show "Getaway".
After graduating with his Bachelor of Laws from Bond University at the end of 2003, Cameron then enrolled in a Master's degree in Chinese studies. It was during his postgraduate studies that he first travelled to China on a semester scholarship to Soochow University located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
Upon being admitted as a Queensland solicitor in early 2005, Cameron’s passion for not only Mandarin, but also for China’s martial arts, intriguing culture and booming economy, led him to an associate’s position in a top local law firm in modern Shanghai.
Despite the long and arduous hours required at the law firm, Cameron’s outgoing character and seemingly natural ability to entertain could not be suppressed. Fluent in Mandarin, he has made various TV appearances, such as performing a Chinese rap song at the Shanghai International Fashion Festival, filming commercials and most recently conducting a one-on-one interview with Chinese kung-fu superstar Jet Li.
After landing one of just three hosting positions in China’s bilingual Getaway program, which is aired to 4.4 million families via Shanghai’s new international channel (ICS), Cameron’s adventures in China have reached new levels.
In front of the camera, he cracks jokes with the locals, samples all sorts of strange but delightful delicacies, spars toe-to-toe with martial arts masters, treks above the clouds onto mountain peaks thousands of metres high and delves deep into caves full of stalactites and bats.
Since 2008, Cameron has also been working as a weekly ‘on street’ reporter discussing Shanghai’s preparations for the World Expo, and as co-host for a weekly movie talk show with a focus on English language learning. More recently, he has been co-host for the unique talent program “The All or Nothing Show”, in which he converses purely in Mandarin.
In the future, Cameron hopes to enhance his relationship with the Chinese population as an ambassador for Australia in China, and encourage further dialogue and cultural exchanges through the media.