 | A sign of change in China's attitude toward foreigners is the construction of a stadium for the 2008 Olympics, when the nation will welcome citizens from around the world to Beijing. |
Yale students, faculty and administrators learned firsthand the power of "people to people" diplomacy during a trip to China May 15-25.
The members of the "Yale 100" delegation, led by President Richard C. Levin, were guests of China's President Hu Jintao, who issued the invitation during a visit to campus in May of 2006.
Promoting exchanges between young people from China and the United States "is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples," said Hu in his welcoming address to the Yale delegates, held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He cited the Chinese proverb: "Heroes always come from young people."
"My hope is that those who took part in this trip will be inspired by their experiences and by the people they met to return to China to further their studies or to work," said Levin. "Increasingly in the future, China and the United States will need to work together to resolve important, sometimes contentious, issues. I believe, as President Hu does, that cross-cultural interaction and people-to-people contact is the best investment we can make for international security in the long run."
The Elis had ample opportunity to mingle with their Chinese counterparts during their visits to Peking, Tsinghua, Xi'an Jiaotong and Fudan universities. They also learned about current education reforms in China from Deputy Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng, who was among many Chinese government officials with whom the group met.
Writing of one such encounter, Erica Smith '09 said: "The smaller, intimate groups were perfect opportunities for delegates to ask questions ranging from the position of women in the Chinese government to China's policies in Sudan. The candid and honest responses given by the Chinese leaders were a refreshing change to the usually one-sided coverage of the press, both American and Chinese."
One highlight of the trip for many students was the chance to spend a day with a Chinese family in the city of Xi'an. Another was an excursion to the "model" rural village of Bai Cun. The trip also included visits to such cultural sites as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, as well as stops at the future site of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, among others.
"Every time the 'Yale 100' delegation boarded a plane and headed to a new city, we experienced a different vibe and saw a unique side of China," wrote William Alexander '10.
On another occasion, after an official dinner in Xi'an where the "Yale 100" were reminded of the Confucian saying that it is "of great joy to receive friends who travel from afar," the delegates scattered to explore the city, recalled Alice Baumgarten '10.
"Some went to a local Islamic market and bargained for beautiful souvenirs. I went with a group of students to get a Chinese massage," wrote Baumgarten. "This provided a relaxing ending to yet another incredible day. In China, it truly is a great joy to be a friend coming from afar."
T H I S
China proves 'a great joy'
for Yale 'friends from afar'
The visit of the "Yale 100" delegation dominated the news in China for many days. This issue of the China Youth Daily, an independent newspaper, shows China's President Hu Jintao greeting his Yale guests.
Because the aim of the trip was to introduce China to Yale faculty and students who had never been there, 85 of the delegates were chosen in part because they had never visited the nation -- prompting one faculty member to quip, "This is the first time I was selected for something as a result of what I had not done." To help these delegates get to know China in a more intimate way, the group also included several Yale students from China and others who had studied there.
Among the highlights of the "Yale 100" trip was the opportunity to meet with Chinese citizens. Here, Erica Smith '09 greets villagers in Bai Cun.
In addition to the official activities, delegates also had some time to explore the cities they visited on their own. While in Shanghai, several delegates went to the old Jewish quarter, where the grandparents of Gabriela Netter '10 had lived after escaping from Poland on the eve of World War II. While visiting the area, which had at one point been turned into a ghetto by the Japanese for Jews and certain Chinese citizens, they met a Shanghai native who had been among those imprisoned there. He gave the Elis a tour of the neighborhood, including the apartment building where Netter's grandparents had lived.
The China Diaries: Perspectives by student members of the 'Yale 100'
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Yale to increase medical and scientific research programs
with acquisition of the Bayer HealthCare complex
Acquisition to expand Yale's economic impact
Milestones in building Yale's medical and scientific research strength
Study shows stem cells curb Parkinson's disease in primatesChina proves 'a great joy' for Yale 'friends from afar'
COMMENCEMENT 2007
With pomp, Yale celebrates its newest graduates
Baccalaureate Address
Honorary Degrees
Outstanding teachers and students are awarded prizes
Former Yale gallery director has been elected an alumni fellow
NASA administrator is appointed University's first CFO
'Lights, cameras and action!' come to campus
Delegations travel to Brazil and Mexico for alumni-hosted events
Initiative seeks to promote effective use of solar power
Air pollution is shown to harm pregnant woman
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE NEWS
Sleep apnea is linked to heart disease and diabetes
Research findings on FMRP protein may lead to . . .
Residents' work-hour reductions not harmful to patients, study says
New radio show offers information, support to cancer patients
Scientific symposium will honor renowned faculty member
Students' research on wood frogs is featured in Peabody exhibit
In Memoriam: Naturalist Charles L. Remington
Performances will showcase talents of young playwrights
New Yale website illustrates the history of slavery in Connecticut
Campus Notes
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