BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — Edward Hayward, a junior at Carleton Faculty in the USA, has discovered a brand new favourite exercise this summer season: using buses via streets of Beijing, the Chinese language capital metropolis, and having fun with the view exterior.
“I’m stunned by how stunning Beijing is, and amazed by every little thing I see,” mentioned the 21-year-old.
This summer season trip, he’s spending two months in intensive Chinese language language immersion programs at Beijing Regular College beneath the “Younger Envoys Scholarship” (YES) program.
“My Chinese language has seen a stage of progress I may have solely dreamed of some months in the past,” mentioned Hayward, who has spent 10 to 12 hours a day practising pronunciation, bettering his speech and learning new phrases over the previous few weeks.
In November 2023, the Chinese language authorities laid out a plan to ask 50,000 younger People to China for trade and examine over the subsequent 5 years, aiming to additional increase exchanges and promote mutual understanding between Chinese language and American individuals, significantly among the many younger era.
To implement the initiative, China established the YES program, which integrates sources from universities throughout China to supply high quality applications, a diversified vary of actions, and high-level platforms and channels for younger People to review and luxuriate in exchanges in China.
Although Hayward has been fascinated about Chinese language tradition and society since a younger age, it’s his first go to to China.
“China is typically depicted from the surface as a rustic that forgot its traditions and historical past in trade for fast modernization. After coming right here, I can see how wildly inaccurate such an outline is. China is advancing quickly, but by no means left any a part of its wealthy tradition behind,” mentioned Hayward.
Many different American college students resonated with Hayward. “I’ve studied Chinese language historical past for a very long time, however to me, it means such a terrific distinction to truly come right here and be immersed within the language, tradition and historical past of the world,” mentioned Michael Connelly from the College of Chicago who’s taking a summer season program in Peking College in Beijing.
On Thursday, a “U.S.-China Youth Leaders Dialogue” occasion was held at Peking College, co-hosted by the college and China Training Affiliation for Worldwide Change. Over 200 college students from practically 50 Chinese language and American universities, together with Harvard College, Princeton College, the College of Chicago, Peking College and Tsinghua College, participated within the occasion.
College students from each international locations engaged in in-depth discussions, sharing their experiences of touring and learning in China, and views on world points comparable to youth trade for enhanced understanding, local weather change and inexperienced improvement, and technological innovation.
“We’re devoted to granting each pupil that involves China for examine or trade with an immersive expertise, the place an actual and stereo China could possibly be vividly felt,” mentioned Chen Jie, vice minister of schooling, at a ceremony of the occasion.
He believes that every little thing the American college students see, hear and style in individual all through the journey may make them notice that China is definitely totally different from how it’s introduced in some books, courses, TV or different media.
“The websites and artifacts listed below are not merely phrases on a web page or footage in a e-book, however now have an actual tangible weight and significance,” mentioned Connelly, who visited automated ports, a wise manufacturing unit of NEVs, and logistics firm within the Yangtze River Delta, an economically vibrant area in east China. “I’m not simply learning Chinese language historical past, however strolling amongst its very makings.”
The occasion on Thursday additionally featured the discharge of a joint initiative by the Chinese language and American youth, which advocated for enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges and safeguarding inexperienced improvement. It additionally referred to as on the youth from each international locations to interact in sci-tech innovation for a brighter future for humanity.
Chen famous that the friendship between Chinese language and American youth is a vital basis for enhancing belief and cooperation between China and the USA.
“Because the world is in an period crammed with uncertainties, the final word reply to those uncertainties comes from all of the younger individuals in attendance right here right this moment, and comes from the collective efforts of the younger era of China and the USA,” Chen mentioned.
“Younger persons are the subsequent era of financial, political and societal leaders, and will play a pivotal function in cross-cultural trade. It permits us to understand the variations in one another’s cultures and societies, and discover widespread grounds, even when we stay on the other sides of the planet,” mentioned Luke Aloe from Dartmouth Faculty. “As we proceed to interact in dialogue all through right this moment’s program, we’re on our strategy to overcoming misunderstandings and constructing friendships.”
Gong Qihuang, president of Peking College, mentioned on the occasion that the college will proceed to advertise instructional exchanges between China and the USA, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation with American universities to foster mutual understanding between the youth of each international locations.
“Throughout this historic interval of China-U.S. relations, there’s much more we could possibly be doing to higher perceive, recognize and respect one another,” mentioned Connelly. ■
