【Harvard China TREK 2024】Visit Northern Qing Dynasty to explore China’s development, taste delicious food and experience historical heritage

After three years, the "Harvard China Tour" has been relaunched. The event is jointly organized by the China Society of Harvard Kennedy School, Beijing European and American Alumni Association, and Hi China International Youth Development Alliance. Dozens of students from Harvard Kennedy School will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Ningbo to truly experience China’s real development situation and gain an in-depth understanding of the situation. China's relationship with the world.

Members of Harvard China Tour 2024 take a group photo in front of the west gate of Peking University

Departure·Exchange

The event started from Beijing. As the capital, Beijing is the political and cultural center of China, and one of the best ways to understand the development of a city or a country is to understand local education. Therefore, on the first day of the trip, the students went to Peking University and Tsinghua University for visits and exchanges. Early in the morning, the students took the bus to Peking University. Walking in Yanyuan, with the explanation and guidance of Peking University students, Harvard students learned about the history and present of Peking University, and understood why it is one of the highest universities in China

Students visit the Quixote statue in North Hall

Afterwards, the students went to the National Institute of Development at Peking University. Here, Dean Yao Yang’s lecture answered students’ questions about why China’s economy is strong, why it grows rapidly, and China’s position in world trade. After the lecture, the students communicated with students from Peking University who are engaged in related research. From different perspectives of China and the world, the two parties had in-depth discussions on the impact of AI on economic development, trade between China and the world, and other issues. Various perspectives and viewpoints blend and complement each other, deepening students’ understanding of China and the world.

Lecture by Dean Yao Yang

Scene of discussion between Harvard classmates and Peking University classmates

Group photo of Harvard China Trip 2024 members with Dean Yao Yang and students from the National School of Development of Peking University

Open Eyes·Huitong

The second stop after Peking University is Tsinghua University, another top university in China. If Peking University leaves students with a macroscopic impression of Chinese higher education, the exchange at Tsinghua University makes Harvard students' impression of Chinese education more vivid and three-dimensional through the sharing of studies among students. In Tsinghua, Harvard students were divided into groups. Each group was led by a Tsinghua University student, who shared the study experience of Tsinghua students with the students and took them to experience dining in the cafeteria. During the exchange, everyone gradually discovered the differences between education models and deepened their understanding of each other's countries' education systems.

In the afternoon, the students came to the Schwarzman Academy of Tsinghua University for exchanges. The academy aims to cultivate students with a deep understanding of Chinese culture and national conditions, a broad international vision, excellent comprehensive qualities and outstanding leadership skills, and contribute to the promotion of human civilization and progress and world peace. and develop future leaders who contribute their talents.

In order to allow Harvard students to truly experience the college's multicultural development and international perspective cultivation, the college held a roundtable discussion with the theme of China's development and Sino-US cooperation. Before the discussion began, Raphael.

During the discussion, the students expressed their opinions based on their own professional and personal experiences in work practice. While having a positive outlook on Sino-US cooperation, they also tried to think about and explore possible new methods and approaches in international cooperation.

During the free exchange session after the discussion, several students also became interested in traditional Chinese chess and Go. Students from Tsinghua University introduced the gameplay and rules of the two chess games to Harvard students through actual games in the hall.

Tsinghua students explain chess rules to Harvard students

Innovation·Sharing

After visiting Tsinghua University and Peking University, in order to further understand the innovative driving force behind China's economic development, Harvard China Tour came to Qiji Chuangtan to talk to entrepreneurs and investors. Lu Qi, founder and CEO of Qiji Chuangtan and former vice president of Microsoft, introduced China's current entrepreneurial environment, model, and main development directions to the students. During the question-and-answer session, students exchanged views on the development of big data and artificial intelligence and their impact on entrepreneurship and the future.

Lu Qi’s group photo with members of the Harvard China trip

After the theme sharing, entrepreneurs from Qiji Chuangtan’s invested companies shared their entrepreneurial projects with the students. The students also had a great time chatting with the makers and expressed their opinions on the development prospects of the industry, the international environment, etc. Harvard students used their newly opened WeChat in China to add friends to the entrepreneurs and hoped to be able to connect with them in the future. There is further cooperation

Harvard students communicate with entrepreneurs

Aftertaste·Community

In addition to education and technology, culture is also essential. Along with the sunset and Beijing's "characteristic" evening rush hour, the students came to Qianmen Dashilan to experience Chinese traditional costumes and etiquette culture. Students from different countries dressed in costumes from different dynasties and styles of the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, and styled their hair in buns of different styles, traveled to ancient China, enjoyed Chinese songs and dances, tasted traditional food, and immersed themselves in Chinese history and culture.

A group photo of members of the Harvard China Tour wearing traditional Chinese costumes

Hi China International Youth Development Alliance is a youth organization initiated by Harvard alumni. It focuses on global competency development and people-to-people diplomacy. It is also the only non-governmental youth organization in China that has obtained special consultative status with the United Nations. It has organized Harvard China trips, youth growth plans, etc. . Hi China has a series of youth growth projects, opportunities to participate in the United Nations, as well as internships and volunteer services in cooperation with international organizations.