Although there has been a decline in the number of U. S. scholars in China, some of those who read in the country say they have a good impression of China and have expressed a preference for becoming more integrated into society.
“Contrary to what some media say that the situation in China is completely backward, I have experienced a friendly and colorful country,” Freeman said.
The 23-year-old from Seattle, Washington, said he arrived in Beijing in August because, as a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in foreign affairs at the University of Economics and International Business, he thought it was vital to be open. Be interested in other cultures and be informed first-hand about other societies.
Freeman said China presented him with a “competitive” scholarship that covers tuition fees and provides him with a monthly stipend of 3,500 yuan ($478. 90).
While most of his relatives tried to convince him not to come to China for safety reasons, he said his sister, who had traveled to China in the past and supported his decision to study there, told him, “I think you appreciate this opportunity. “, and you will appreciate this country for its strong cultural presence. “
In the 3 months since his arrival, Freeman has been busy with his schoolwork, but he has also enjoyed visiting iconic Beijing landmarks, including the iconic Qianmen Street, and has been an active player at the UIBE baseball club every week. he joined the university’s Model United Nations club and is eager to participate in other activities.
“I’m just a student and I’m satisfied to be here,” he said.
Freeman is one of the few U. S. scholars to have come to China since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which worries U. S. government officials.
After a recent assembly with Wesleyan University President Michael Roth, who was in Beijing and Shanghai to recruit potential scholars and meet with alumni, U. S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns wrote on social media on Oct. 26, “We discussed the importance of (American) universities, academics, returning academics (to China). There are only about 350 U. S. academics in China lately, down from more than 11,500 in 2019.
Like Freeman, other U. S. citizens or school officials in China have also developed an affection for the nation.
Chris Oniya, a 36-year-old instructor from Houston, Texas, has spent almost part of his life in China.
As a teenager, he helped import clothes from Guangzhou into his state’s Guangdong province. These paintings sparked his interest in China and, with his uncle’s money, he made the decision to come to the country to examine foreign business at the UIBE at age. of 19.
As an outgoing and open to new things, Oniya said he was happy with the high point of school he got and the friendly nature of his classmates. However, from time to time he felt isolated and thought that foreign academics did not receive the same support as Chinese academics.
“The alumni agreement aims to provide facilities to Chinese and foreign scholars. However, foreign scholars are ignored in the actual operation, resulting in the school wasting valuable alumni resources and squandering scholars’ sense of belonging,” he said.
After explaining the challenge to the UIBE authorities, Oniya obtained investment and tactile data from academics at the university to identify a foreign alumni agreement in 2012, with the aim of organizing alumni seminars and liaison forums, offering information on internships and jobs, and promoting cooperation. among academics. Chinese and foreign academics.
The agreement gained popularity temporarily when Oniya began recruiting scholars from different countries to identify offshoots of the alumni agreement on campus to serve their compatriots.
The first group of branches was established for Japanese, South Korean, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese scholars in 2012. A branch office for U. S. scholars was established in 2013.
In 2017, Parviz Davlatzoda, Tajikistan’s former ambassador to China, was invited to an assembly organized through the association’s Tajik branch. Lately there are 27 branches on the UIBE campus covering scholars from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
Impressed by her efforts, the UIBE exempted Oniya from frontal examinations and waived her tuition fees while pursuing her master’s and doctoral degrees over the years. She also submitted a business English coaching assignment at the university after completing her PhD last year.
Oniya said the pandemic has had a major effect on UIBE’s foreign students, as well as their own studies, which have been suspended. In addition, the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, UIBE’s Chinese-American student exchange program, has been suspended. And the International Alumni Association hasn’t done any online or offline activities for a long time.
“I went back to Houston in 2020 and I went back to Beijing in June,” Oniya said. “I’m perfecting my Chinese and will return to the activities of the International Alumni Association. “
limenghan@chinadaily. com. cn