From November 11 to November 22, 2013, USCET traveled to China to host a series of events promoting American Studies in China. Altogether, USCET completed programs at nine major Chinese universities, including the Central Party School, and two major media outlets. In addition, USCET convened its 10th Anniversary ASN Conference at The University of Hong Kong and  15th Anniversary FY Chang Lecture at Peking University Law School, totaling to an impressive thirteen events across 5 cities in the span of 2 weeks. Take a look here at our full schedule and the conclusion of all the events!

Forum on American Culture and Society at SISU

USCET President Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch along with Executive Director Anthony Chang accompanied renowned historians Marilyn Lake of Australia and Sonya Michel of Maryland, USA to the Shanghai International Studies University where they gave talks on religion to graduate students. Click here to read more about the program.

The 10th Anniversary American Studies Network Conference at HKU

USCET hosted its 10th annual ASN Conference in conjunction with the University for Hong Kong, the most successful one to date.  Highlights of the conference included a dynamic discussion between Ronnie Chan, Chairman of Hang Lung Properties, Ltd. and journalist, James Fallows on the current position of US-China relations at our 10th Anniversary Celebration Dinner; over 20 panels on the theme “Transnational Currents of US-China Relations;” a Special Delegation comprised of 10 members that represent all the institutions that have hosted ASN conferences in the past, and much more.

Take a look at the rest of our ASN Conference update and don’t forget to check out more pictures from the conference on our Facebook page!

Fallows Week in Beijing                                                                                                                             

Acclaimed National Correspondent for The Atlantic, James Fallows, set out on a weeklong whirlwind of talks in Beijing. Fallows visited several universities in the area, complete with a tour of the first media museum in China at the Communication University of China. Fallows was also a guest at two influential media outlets in China.  

USCET completed an astounding six programs with Fallows on his Beijing tour, encompassing the following:

• Fallows Roundtable at the Central Party School on US Perceptions of China’s Rise
• Fallows Lecture at Tsinghua Graduate Student Class on US-China Relations
• Fallows Discussion with Journalism Graduate Students at InfoUSA@BFSU (Beijing Foreign Studies University, the first USCET American Cultural Center)
• Fallows Lecture at Communication University of China
• Fallows Meeting and Brown Bag Lunch with Caixin Media’s editors and reporters at invitation of Editor-In-Chief,  Hu Shuli
• Fallows Sinica Podcast Recording with Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn.

USCET would like to thank James Fallows for his generosity, enthusiasm, and congeniality on this trip! 

FY Chang Lecture 

The Double Anniversary FY Chang Lecture (15th Anniversary of the FY Chang Lecture, 25th Anniversary of the FY Chang Foundation) was held on November 20, 2013 at Peking University Law School. USCET President Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch moderated a lecture, followed by a Q&A session with PKU Law students, by Fredrick Chien Foo, the former Foreign Minister of Taiwan. Coming soon: more details of the program, as well as the full transcription of his speech, “The Abrogation of the Unequal Treaties of China in the 1940s.”

InfoUSA@NENU Lecture

The topic at our 2013 InfoUSA@NENU conference, held at the American Cultural Center at Northeast Normal University in Changchun, encompassed multiple issues salient in American society today, including income inequality and the phenomenon of minimum wage, and progressivism. As these issues are also relevant in Chinese society, our speakers hoped to engage in a dialogue to broaden the understanding of these important issues that will resonate with all, regardless of nationality. 

After stints in Shanghai and Hong Kong, historian Sonya Michel traveled to Northeast Normal University in Changchun with USCET Executive Director Anthony Chang for a lecture as part of annual programming for USCET’s InfoUSA@NENU center.  Read more about this year’s program here.

Launch of the Greenberg/Starr Scholarship at Shandong University

USCET President Julia Chang Bloch and Program Assistant Jennifer Kuang were received at Shandong University for the official signing ceremony of our third China Opportunity Scholarships program in Jinan.

It has indeed been a busy and rewarding time at USCET. The future of US-China relations will be all the more bright if we continue to find ways to connect with each other across the Pacific and engage in academic scholarship and exchange to build trust and mutual understanding. If you would like to co-host a program with USCET in the future, please contact us. For more stories and to stay informed about our programs, follow us on Twitter and Weibo, Friend us on Facebook, and subscribe to our newsletter!