“It was my first visit to China, and the culture shock I experienced was really striking. I held many misconceptions about China before coming here, but experiencing the country in person has made those biased assumptions fall away,” said Rio Tissot, a US student looking back on his summer program. Through on-campus classes, off-campus field studies, cultural activities, and exchanges with peers, overseas students have encountered China up close at International Campus, Zhejiang University. Firsthand experience has deepened their understanding of the country, and multiple participants have moved on from short-term programs to pursue long-term further study in China.
In November 2023, President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious initiative to host 50,000 US students for study and exchange programs in China over the next five years. Drawing on its strengths in global educational partnerships, International Campus, Zhejiang University responded by integrating the exchanges of youth into its teaching and cross-cultural engagement. From 2024 to 2026, with support from the Young Envoys Scholarship Program (YES Program) of China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), the campus developed programs including the Global Classroom International Collaboration Program and Zhi-Xing China: US-China University Student Leaders Academy. Together, these programs brought 104 young American students to the campus for study and exchange, including 25 degree students. Studying alongside Chinese and other international peers, these students connected with one another through academic learning, deepened their understanding via firsthand experience, built friendships through cultural exchanges, and have forged lasting bonds across the Pacific.
Learning Together, Building Connections
In May 2024, the Global Classroom International Collaboration Program formed cross-campus teams of Chinese and American students. Centered on the theme “Sustainable Development”, the courses covered frontier topics including water resource management, biomass-based materials, carbon capture, and carbon neutrality. Elias Hill, a student from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), said, “China and the United States have a responsibility to lead on climate change and sustainability, and this program is a great start.” SU Chang, a master’s student at ZJUI, said living and studying with American peers helped them develop friendships.
Learning by Doing, Seeing China’s Development Firsthand
Over the past three years, Chinese and international students visited Yucun Village in Anji and Qingtian County in Lishui to learn the local practice of the core Chinese ecological development concept “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. They also visited Geely Auto, Ant Group, JinkoSolar, and other companies to see production facilities firsthand and learn about China’s automobile industry and FinTech development. One student exclaimed after visiting Geely that he truly admires its journey from making small components to manufacturing automobiles and expanding into international markets. The students also visited AmCham Shanghai to learn about the current situation and development opportunities of foreign-invested companies in China.
Connecting Through Culture, Deepening Understanding
During the summer programs, students also enjoyed tea and learned about tea culture at China National Tea Museum, listened to the thousand-year-old stories of the Sea God Temple in Yanguan Ancient Town, and appreciated the play of light and shadow in Chinese shadow puppetry, an intangible cultural heritage. They explored the profound heritage of traditional Chinese medicine at Fang Hui Chun Tang, Hangzhou’s centenary TCM pharmacy, were captivated by the fusion of traditional bronze art and modern aesthetics at Zhu Bingren Bronze Art Museum, and experienced the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture by making traditional-style lacquer fans in Haining Historic and Cultural District.
Building Trust, Sustaining Lasting Friendships
Beyond classroom lectures and field visits, Chinese and international students deepened interaction and mutual understanding through project discussions, group assignments, and language courses, and forged close friendships. American student Gabriel Price said, “Now my view of China is much more holistic. I want to approach my future career in whether it's politics or international agencies to try to foster peace and prosperity.” Chinese student YAN Jiayi said, “We quickly became like family and formed lifelong friendships. In a world often divided and mired in misunderstanding, this program brought us much closer.”
The Global Classroom International Collaboration Program team received a thank-you card from 22 American students, thanking Chinese faculty and students for their hospitality. Some students hoped for a longer exchange at the International Campus, and others wanted to intern at the companies they visited. Jebidiah, a student of Zhi-Xing China: US-China University Student Leaders Academy, said it was his first trip to China. His concerns faded during the summer program, as people were friendly and the atmosphere fit learning and growth. He believed he would have an excellent environment to learn and explore if he returns. After the program, he came to China for further study, and is now a student of the 2025 Master of China Studies (MCS) program at Zhejiang University.
From learning side by side to traveling together, from practicing Chinese to sharing daily life, Chinese and American students built trust through sustained interaction, and their understanding of China shifted from secondhand information to firsthand experience. International Campus, Zhejiang University will continue leveraging the strengths of its joint programs, integrating academic study, social practice and cultural exchange closely. It will enable more students to deepen mutual understanding and know the real China through joint learning and firsthand experience, injecting youthful vitality into China-US people-to-people friendship and laying a solid foundation for the next generation.
(Text: Li Panyan; Editor-in-Chief: LI Yinan; Reviewer: YANG Yi; Final Reviewer: QU Haidong)