20th Anniversary ASN Conference held at BFSU in Beijing
—Supported by the U.S. Embassy and the Henry Luce Foundation
Connecting People, Cultures, and Ideas: Re-examining Sino-American Exchange
Beijing | October 25-27, 2024
The US-China Education Trust (USCET) and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) co-sponsored the 2024 American Studies Network conference on the campus of BFSU from October 25 to 27. This conference celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the American Studies Network in 2004. This milestone event was marked by the first in-person ASN conference since the pandemic reshaped global engagement, successfully bringing together prominent speakers and dynamic panel discussions centered on the theme of Connecting People, Cultures and Ideas: Re-examining Sino-American Exchange.
Plenary session 1:
David M. Lampton, Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, gave the first keynote speech of the conference, sharing insights from his recent work Living U.S.-China Relations: From Cold War to Cold War.
Wang Bo, Director of the Center for American Studies at the National University of Defense Technology, who spoke about People of Paradox: The Impact upon US-China Relations and Some Suggestions.
Elizabeth Knup, Senior Advisor to China Focus at the Carter Center, who discussed the role of civil society cooperation.
Plenary session 2:
Fu Meirong, Director of the American Studies Center at BFSU, shared insights from her research on Stranded in the Cold War: A Psycho-historical Analysis of the Life Course of the Core Members of Chinese Scientific Workers’ Association in USA.
Yingyi Ma, Professor and Graduate Director at Syracuse University, who offered her expertise on Chinese students in American higher education.
Shi Yi, Director of the Center for American Studies at China Foreign Affairs University, who discussed Educational Exchanges Between China & US: Challenges and Opportunities.
Plenary session 3:
Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China, shared the implications of the 2024 US elections on the bilateral relationship.
Xie Tao, Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at BFSU, delivered a comprehensive analysis of Democratic Backsliding and America’s Declining Greatness.
The conference had 12 concurrent panel discussions covering a wide range of pertinent topics in American Studies. Representing 24 institutions, more than 60 panelists brought diverse perspectives to the following panel sessions:
- U.S.-China Educational and Academic Exchange: A History
- U.S.-China Cultural Exchange: A History
- U.S.-China Relations: Traditional Dimensions
- American Studies in China
- Navigating U.S.-China Educational Cultural Exchange Today
- Cultural Diplomacy, Soft Power, and Mutual Perceptions
- American Diplomacy Beyond China
- American Society
- American Domestic Politics
- U.S-China Relations: Non-Traditional Issues
- Digital Diplomacy: Technology for New Possibilities
- Undergraduate Forum
The conference attracted over 100 attendees and received 60 proposal submissions. For the 12th panel session, USCET and BFSU introduced an undergraduate symposium for the first time as part of the ASN, providing a platform for emerging Chinese scholars in American studies to present their research. Meanwhile, the American Studies Essay Competition, jointly established by Beijing Foreign Studies University and the US-China Education Trust in 2016 to honor Professor Mei Renyi, underscored a shared commitment to supporting young scholars’ achievements in the growing field of American studies.
Since its inaugural conference in 2004, the ASN and its conference have steadily grown in membership, becoming a trusted platform for scholars of American studies to network, share research, and collaborate. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the ASN remains committed to cultivating academic inquiry and supporting engagement in American studies moving forward.
The full conference program can be referenced here.
第二十届美国研究联络会议在北京外国语大学举行
—获美国驻华大使馆和亨利·卢斯基金会支持
连接人民、文化与观点:重新审视中美交流
北京 | 2024年10月25日-27日
中美教育基金（USCET）与北京外国语大学于2024年10月25日至27日在北外校园共同主办了2024年美国研究联络会议。本次会议庆祝美国研究联络会议自2004年成立以来的第20个周年，这次具有里程碑意义的活动是自疫情重塑全球参与以来的首次线下ASN会议，活动成功汇聚了多位杰出的演讲嘉宾，并围绕”连接人民、文化与思想：重新审视中美交流”这一主题展开了富有活力的专题讨论。
全体会议1:
David M. Lampton，约翰霍普金斯大学高级国际研究学院名誉教授发表了会议首场主题演讲，分享了其最新著作《Living U.S.-China Relations: From Cold War to Cold War》的见解。
Wang Bo，国防科技大学美国研究中心主任，就「矛盾的人：对中美关系的影响及建议」发表演讲。
Elizabeth Knup，卡特中心中国项目高级顾问，就民间社会合作的作用发表主题演讲
全体会议2:
Fu Meirong，北京外国语大学美国研究中心主任，分享了其研究成果「身陷冷战：美国中国科技工作者协会核心成员生命历程的心理历史分析」。
Yingyi Ma，雪城大学教授兼研究生主任，就在美中国留学生情况分享专业见解。
Shi Yi，外交学院美国研究中心主任，探讨了「中美教育交流：挑战与机遇」。
全体会议3:
Robert Daly，威尔逊中心基辛格中国研究所所长，探讨了2024年美国大选对双边关系的影响。
Xie Tao，北京外国语大学国际关系与外交学院院长，就「民主倒退与美国的衰退」进行了全面分析。
会议举办了12场并行专题讨论，涵盖了美国研究领域的广泛议题。来自24个机构的60多位与会专家为以下专题研讨会带来了多元化的观点：
- 中美教育与学术交流史
- 中美文化交流史
- 中美关系：传统维度
- 中国的美国研究
- 当今中美教育文化交流的导向
- 文化外交、软实力与相互认知
- 美国对华外交之外
- 美国社会
- 美国国内政治
- 中美关系：非传统议题
- 数字外交：技术带来的新可能
- 本科生论坛
本次会议吸引了100多名与会者，收到60份提案投稿。在第12场专题研讨会上，中美教育基金和北京外国语大学首次在美国研究联络会议框架下引入本科生研讨会，为新一代的中国美国研究学者提供了展示研究成果的平台。同时，北京外国语大学和中美教育基金于2016年共同设立的”梅仁毅教授美国研究论文奖”，彰显了双方对支持年轻学者在不断发展的美国研究领域取得成就的共同承诺。
自2004年首届会议以来，ASN及其会议的会员规模稳步增长，已成为美国研究学者建立联系、分享研究和开展合作的可靠平台。在成立20周年之际，将继续致力于推动美国研究的学术探索，促进该领域的深入交流与发展。
研究生论文竞赛获奖者在美国研究联络会晚宴上宣布，晚宴标志着会议活动在北京的圆满结束。今年的晚宴也庆祝美国研究联络会议成立20周年，表彰了中美教育基金在过去二十年来见证的中方合作伙伴和美国研究领域参与者所展现的学术性、奉献精神和团体意识。
完整会议日程可参见此处。