On April 10, 2025, USCET welcomed a student delegation from Gettysburg College as part of our ongoing efforts to support American student interest in China. The delegation included around 20 students from various majors who are currently enrolled in Chinese language and Chinese culture and society courses. Three faculty members, Professor Junjie Luo, Jing Li, and Weiling Kuo, accompanied the group.

Emily Brignand, USCET Program Associate, welcomed the group and opened the meeting with a brief introduction of USCET.

In a lively and interactive conversation, led by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, students responded with enthusiasm, sharing a range of motivating factors for being interested in China, including the possibility of exploring great power competition and geopolitics, reconnecting with their cultural heritage, and gaining a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives on U.S.-China relations. Students showed great interest in Ambassador Bloch’s career, and those students with ethnically diverse backgrounds related to Ambassador Bloch being Chinese American and talked movingly of their search for identity.   

Ambassador Bloch offered candid reflections on the current state of U.S.-China educational exchange, expressing concern about its decline amid rising political tensions. Emphasizing the urgent need for American students to study in China, not to have America lose a generation of China experts, she encouraged students to continue engaging internationally despite the challenges. When asked why she founded USCET, Ambassador Bloch spoke about her deep commitment to building bridges between the United States and China. 

She concluded her remarks with a heartfelt message to the students: Continue studying China, travel abroad, and embrace the richness of education and cultural exchange.