Chinese Minister Counselor for Education Visits Dickinson College
Yang Xinyu, Chinese minister counselor for education, speaks with President Ensign and Associate Professor of Japanese Language & Literature Alex Bates. Photo by Carl Socolow '77.
Daylong visit covered topics ranging from global study to cultural exchange
by Tony Moore
Global education has been a bedrock of a Dickinson education for more than half a century. And the Dickinson in China program has been thriving at the University of Peking in Beijing since 1992, while Dickinson added another program, at Yunnan University in Kunming, in the 2016-17 academic year.
Recently, to discuss connecting worlds through education, global study and the ongoing fruitful exchange of students between China and the U.S., Yang Xinyu, Chinese minister counselor for education, visited campus to meet with President Magee Ensign, students and others.
“The world is a complicated, ever-evolving landscape, and relations between China and the U.S. are certainly complex right now,” said Ensign. “But as the minister counselor and I discussed, education is the key to bridging gaps and creating understanding between nations and their citizens, the key to making progress for us all.”
Coinciding with the 40-year anniversary of diplomatic relations and exchange between the U.S. and China—a milestone to be celebrated later this year at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C.—the visit also included discussions on ways Dickinson and the minister counselor’s office could collaborate further in the future and ways that cross-cultural exchange is already alive and well.
“The visit was a wonderful chance for us to raise awareness of Dickinson's robust global education culture,” said Samantha Brandauer ’95, associate provost and executive director of the Center for Global Study & Engagement, noting that beyond study abroad, Dickinson hosts dozens of Chinese students and faculty each year. “It was also an opportunity to showcase what a great place this is for our Chinese students and how well they integrate, shape our campus culture and excel at Dickinson.”
In Carlisle with two senior aides, Yang is based in Washington, D.C., at the Chinese embassy and was introduced to President Ensign by emeritus member of the Board of Trustees Sherwood “Woody” Goldberg ’63. Goldberg has been a champion of Dickinson for more than 50 years, notably establishing with wife Susan the Susan H. and Sherwood D. Goldberg ’63 Endowment Fund for the Advancement of East Asian Studies at Dickinson.
On campus, Yang met with Ensign, Brandauer, Provost and Dean Neil Weissman, Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Catherine McDonald Davenport '87 and Director of International Student & Scholar Services Sonja Paulson. A tour of the Trout Gallery, lunch with faculty and students and a student-led tour of campus rounded out the visit.
“It was an honor to host the minister counselor and her team for the day. We all look forward to expanding Dickinson’s already robust presence in China and to welcoming more Chinese students to Dickinson,” said Ensign, noting that a number of possible partnerships—in study abroad and music, among other areas—were discussed. “Cultural exchange, and simply personal interaction and understanding, are what the world needs now more than ever before.”
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Published October 20, 2019