Educational Exchange

Current Programs at the American Center for Educational Exchange

Winter, 2009

Black History Month

Charles Meredith (left picture, center) the first African-American to attend the University of Mississippi with Medgar Evers and his lawyer; civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; author Maya Angelou; President Barack Obama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black History Month is celebrated in February of each year, honoring the contributions that African-Americans have made to American history and culture.  Black History Month is made all the more important in 2009 with the recent election of our first African-American U.S. President as well as the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. President credited with ending slavery in America. This year we plan to celebrate Black History Month in both February and March, with a full schedule of movie screenings and special events to observe the holiday. 
 

To receive invitations to our public events, to request programs at your school, or for more information about any of our activities please email us at ACEEBeijing@gmail.com

American Culture Night – Jazz in the New Embassy

Phil Morrison Trio plays the blues at the U.S. Embassy

Jazz music is America’s indigenous soundtrack, developed in the earliest days of colonial history and evolving through the decades up to modern times.  On November 24, the Phil Morrison Trio featuring Viva Vinson on vocals and Keith Williams on piano introduced an audience of Chinese college students from throughout Beijing to the classics of American Jazz Music, with examples of the various styles and songs that define the genre.  Through a mix of explanation and demonstration, the audience learned the basics of jazz music and gained a full appreciation for the history of this unique style of music.  This was the first event held at the new U.S. Embassy…look for more programs to be held in this beautiful new venue in the future!

 

U.S. Elections and the Transition of Power a Hot Topic

Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States

After one of the most exciting U.S. Presidential Election seasons in history, Election Day finally arrived. On November 5, we celebrated with a major event both to explain the election process and to watch the election results live. Embassy Officers were on hand to explain the election process to groups of students, computers were set up to track all the statistical data, and the “Total Voter Experience” gave our Chinese audience the chance to cast a vote in our mock election!  Barack Obama won that in-house poll as well, and gave a memorable victory speech to end the event. On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sowrn in as the 44th President of the United States of America.

 

 

Poster campaigns encourage all citizens to vote on Election Day	Student casts her vote in Mock Election at the Election Watch Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Glosserman of CSIS discusses Obama's Foreign Policy

After November 5, a series of speakers helped explain how President Obama’s domestic and foreign policies might affect the United States.  Embassy Officer Brooke Spellman spoke to a group of students at Renmin University about foreign policy changes under Obama.  Visiting Fulbright Professor Mike Roskin discussed Obama’s leadership style and personality, based on his political and personal background and analysis of former Presidents, at Peking University and Capital Normal University.  Ralph Cossa and Brad Glosserman, both from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, spoke to audiences at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Peking University, Renmin University and several Chinese think tanks about Foreign Policy changes under an Obama Administration.  University of Denver professor Jonathan Adelman discussed foreign policy objectives and the future of U.S.-China political relations under President Obama with audiences in Renmin University, China Foreign Affairs University, and several think tanks. With a new President and a new political party coming to office, we also conducted programs addressing the peaceful transition of government power in the United States, including Digital Video Conferences featuring Ben Moeling from the U.S. Embassy and political commentator James Thurber.

Financial Crisis

Financial Management Officer Rich Shields explains the economic crisis

The global financial crisis is of concern to people worldwide, though most people don’t fully understand what caused the problem or what the future looks like for the world economy. U.S. Embassy Financial Management Officer Rich Shields offered an intriguing discussion of the economic problem to a group of students from Beijing Normal University. Mr. Shields broke the complex issue down into several basic concepts that explained the core issues that led to the crisis, and offered answers to the students’ difficult questions.

Environmental Film Series

As renewable resources, environmental protection, and reversing climate change have become more and more critical to the health of our planet, the U.S. Embassy has begun hosting an Environmental Film Series.  Our first movie was “A Civil Action,” which dramatized the true story of a legal battle between citizens whose water supply is polluted by industrial waste and the companies that tried to cover up the problem. Environmental Officer Sherry Hong’s discussed the environmental laws that affected the outcome of the story, and the parallels that might be drawn between these situations in the U.S. and similar environmental issues in China.  Look for more Environmental Film Series events in the future!

 

30 Years of U.S. - PRC Diplomatic Relations

30th Anniversary of U.S.-PRC Diplomatic Relations

January 1, 2009 marked the 30^th anniversary of U.S.-PRC diplomatic relations, an event which the U.S. Embassy will continue to celebrate throughout the year.  Look for special programs, events, and contests this year which commemorate this important milestone!

 

Request speakers to come to your school today!

UGRAD Update

The very first UGRAD Scholarship participants have returned to China after a successful semester of study in the United States!  Several more students are still in the U.S. to complete an academic year of study, and will return later in the spring. We look forward to hearing their stories and finding out more about their experiences soon. We received an overwhelming response to our 2009 UGRAD Scholarship announcement, and we were totally impressed by the quality of applicants from across the country who are interested in this program.  Everyone who submitted an application did a great job, but we were only allowed to select a few applicants as finalists. Congratulations to those who were selected! 

To receive invitations to our public events, to request programs at your school, or for more information about any of our activities please email us at ACEEBeijing@gmail.com