On September 15, 2025, USCET and the Sigur Center for Asian Studies celebrated the opening of the USCET Reading Room, a new resource hub for students and researchers of US-China relations on the 5th floor of the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University (1957 E St NW).
Earlier this summer, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) generously donated its extensive book collection on U.S.–China relations and China studies to USCET. Over recent months, USCET cataloged the volumes and, with the support of the Sigur Center, established a permanent home for the collection in a newly furnished reading space designed for study, discovery, and conversation.
Program highlights
The launch program opened with remarks by Ryan McElveen, managing director of USCET; and featured reflections from Jan Berris, vice president of NCUSCR; Rosie Levine, executive director of USCET; and Eric Schluessel, director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies.
Speakers emphasized the importance of preserving materials that document decades of scholarship, exchange, and engagement between the United States and China, as well as the value of making those resources accessible to the next generation. To mark the occasion, leaders of the partner organizations unveiled a commemorative plaque that will be displayed in the room.
Jan Berris, Eric Schluessel, Ryan McElveen, and Rosie Levine unveil the commemorative plaque
The Reading Room embodies a shared commitment by NCUSCR and USCET to public education and constructive communication. Opening the collection to all students and researchers ensures that these books continue to inform teaching, inspire new research, and support dialogue at a time when informed, balanced understanding is more essential than ever.
USCET team members Rosie Levine, Selina Lam, Rebecca Jin, Owen Wang, Ryan McElveen, and Raquel Liang in the USCET Reading Room
Visit the Reading Room
- Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 5th Floor, Sigur Center for Asian Studies, 1957 E St NW, Washington, DC
- Access: Open to students and researchers. (Please check in at the Sigur Center front desk for directions.)
USCET Reading Room launch commemorative plaque recognizing the donated book collection from NCUSCR and the allocated space for housing the collection by the Sigur Center