On July 4, 2016, as part of the “Asia as the Global Future Program”, a group of twenty-five students from the University of Hong Kong and Korea University were given a welcome reception at the Shaoyuan Hotel in PKU. The students, who hail from twelve countries, were led by Program Director Tse Ho Jun. They were welcomed by Zhou Manli, Deputy Director of the Office of International Relations (OIR) and the Office of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs.
During their stay at PKU, the students took part in academic, cultural, and professional immersion programs. Apart from English-language lectures in the fields of International Relations, Economics, and social issues, the students will also take part in a variety of immersion activities such as visits to the Baidu headquarters, international law firm King and Wood Mallesons, and the China People’s Political Consultation Conference, on top of leisure trips in and around Beijing.
OIR Deputy Director Zhou Manli first briefly introduced PKU and its role in providing an excellent platform for students from all over the world to share ideas and immerse in different cultures. She noted that PKU and the University of Hong Kong have signed a series of agreements on academic exchanges. Also, she emphasized the fact that in 2015, with the support of "Hong Kong 1000 Plan", PKU received more than 150 students from HKU, the highest among universities in Hong Kong. Finally, she concluded by advising the exchange students that although they may come across some challenges while exploring Chinese society, they should fully involve themselves in whatever studying opportunities are presented to them, in the hopes of learning to face challenges together and to build a better Asia.
Program Director Tse Ho Jun showed gratitude to PKU’s warm reception of his group. He then explained that the goal of this program is to introduce China and Asia to students not only from Hong Kong, but also to people around the world in the hopes of getting them involved in all kinds of endeavors, including studies, work, or even leisure trips. The key, he points out, is for others to learn more about the region, particularly the development of Asia.
“I could feel the full extent of the culture shock; Beijing is very different from Hong Kong”, says one American student, explaining the first leg of the program, which took place in Hong Kong. “It’s so different. Everything’s new. There’s just so much to learn; I doubt one week is enough to appreciate Beijing”, she said with a smile.
This week, the PKU Summer School International (PKUSSI), the PKU Chinese Language Summer School, and the Globex Summer School all opened, welcoming around 800 students from all over the world to study at PKU. While others may be on vacation, for the international students who choose to study here, summer is their PKU season!
Written by: Dohun Na
