US-China Education Trust
Encyclopedia
The US-China Education Trust (USCET, ) is a non-profit organization
based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch
, the first Chinese-American U.S. Ambassador, USCET seeks to promote US-China relations through a series of education and exchange programs. The organization sponsors a variety of fellowships, conferences, workshops and exchanges, focused primarily on strengthening Chinese academic institutions related to the fields of American Studies
, Media and Journalism
, American Governance, and International Relations
.
The organization’s expressed mission is “to promote US-China relations through education and exchange for next-generation leaders.”
’s "100,000 Strong" Initiative to increase the number of American students studying in China. The program provides grants to American universities to encourage students to study abroad in China. Universities will use the funds to award travel grants to students enrolled in summer, semester, and academic year study abroad programs. Current partner universities include Boston University
, San Francisco State University
, The University of Arkansas, and The University of North Alabama
.
.
(TFAS) at Georgetown University
. Summer institutes cover a variety of topics including political journalism, philanthropy
and voluntary service, business and government affairs, and comparative political and economic systems.
in 1988. The foundation was established in memory of Bloch’s father, Chang Fuyun, the first Chinese national to graduate from Harvard Law School, and offers scholarships to Chinese students to study at Harvard Law. In addition, the fund sponsors an annual FY Chang Lecture, which brings together eminent legal scholars and jurists from China, the US, Hong Kong
and Taiwan
to speak at the Peking University
Law School. The 2010 FY Chang Lecture was given by former US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky
.
In 2001, USCET launched its first official project, a Congressional Studies program held at Fudan University
's Center for American Studies. The organization formed a longstanding partnership with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) in 2001, launching its first American Studies Summer Institute for Chinese undergraduate and graduate students at Georgetown University.
In 2004, the organization pioneered the foundation of the American Studies Network (ASN), a network of Chinese universities with American studies programs which currently includes 50 members. USCET's inaugural Financial Media Institute opened at Fudan University's School of Journalism in 2006. Directed by Terry Smith
of PBS and Al Kamen of The Washington Post
, the program brought together 22 journalism students from across China to complete an intensive certificate program. 2006 also saw USCET cooperating with the U.S. Department of Labor in delivering its first legislative training program with the Peoples Congresses of Shanghai
and Chongqing
on Mine Safety. The program, designed to help China develop and implement laws to prevent mine accidents and deaths, addressed a high priority area of Chinese policymaking. Subsequent FMI’s have been held alternately at Fudan University and Hong Kong Baptist University
.
The success of the Financial Media Institute led USCET to expand its activities within media education. In 2008 the organization successfully co-sponsored a Symposium on Global Journalism Education Reform with UNESCO
at Tsinghua University
. This predated the formal launch of the Media Education Consortium in 2009. In its two years of operation the MEC has become a vehicle to expose Chinese media educators to Western journalism philosophy and practices and improve the quality of training to China’s next-generation broadcasters and journalists. MEC activities now include an annual conference, short-term academic workshops for Chinese graduate students, and a Journalist-In-Residence Program.
In 2010, USCET became the first organization to launch a program under President Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative to increase American academic exchange with China. The program, called the USCET Student Leader Exchange Program, will offer competitive travel grants to sponsor universities who demonstrate considerable effort to expand the number of undergraduates they send to study abroad in China. USCET first unveiled the program in a joint announcement at USCET’s 7th American Studies Network (ASN) conference with Carola McGiffert, US State Department Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific.
Awards programs: In 2010 USCET held the first annual Congressional Visionary Award, presented to honor “courage, foresight, and pioneering leadership in advancing US-China relations.” The first annual awards luncheon honored Senator Dianne Feinstein
who, as the mayor of San Francisco, launched the first ever “sister cities” relationship between an American city and a Chinese city, with the city of Shanghai
. At the organization’s 20th anniversary gala in 2009 it honored former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson with an Executive Leadership Award.
Past donors include:
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch
Julia Chang Bloch
Julia Chang Bloch was an American diplomat, and the first U.S. ambassador of Asian origin. She is also the founder and current president of the US-China Education Trust.-Life and Political Career:...
, the first Chinese-American U.S. Ambassador, USCET seeks to promote US-China relations through a series of education and exchange programs. The organization sponsors a variety of fellowships, conferences, workshops and exchanges, focused primarily on strengthening Chinese academic institutions related to the fields of American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
, Media and Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, American Governance, and International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
.
The organization’s expressed mission is “to promote US-China relations through education and exchange for next-generation leaders.”
The American Studies Network
Conceived to strengthen American Studies programs in China, this consortium of academic institutions, now numbering nearly 50, provides opportunities for members to collaborate, share resources, and develop their capacity to teach about American society and culture. One of the primary goals of the ASN is to promote a more comprehensive understanding of the United States in China by sponsoring academic research in fields beyond the usual topics in politics and US-China relations which tend to dominate Chinese research about America. As such, the ASN encourages scholarly collaboration and research on other topics like American culture and religion. ASN activities include an annual conference for all member universities; an American Studies Fellows program which places young Chinese scholars at American universities for a mentored semester-long fellowship; and delegations of Chinese American Studies scholars to the annual meeting of the American Studies Association in the United States.Media Education Consortium
Similar to the ASN, the Media Education Consortium (MEC) is a network of schools of journalism and communication at over 30 Chinese universities. Through annual conferences and short-term workshops, USCET seeks to use the MEC to expand the capacity of Chinese universities to train professionally skilled journalists and broadcasters. MEC programs work to build practical investigative and reporting skills for Chinese journalism students, and to strengthen the role of professionalism and media ethics within Chinese media and communication curricula.Annual MEC Programs Include:
- Financial Media Institute
- A 5-day certificate program in financial and business journalism for Chinese fourth-year and graduate journalism and communication students
- Journalist in Residence
- An exchange program which brings prominent American journalists to Chinese journalism and communications colleges for lectures and workshops. Past fellows have included Deborah Nelson, who received the Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for her investigation of the My Lai MassacreMy Lai MassacreThe My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
and other abuses by the American military during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and is now a professor of journalism at the University of MarylandUniversity of MarylandWhen the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
.- Media Education Consortium Annual Conference
- An annual conference at one of the MEC partner schools allows scholars from different Consortium members to meet and share resources, ideas, and curriculum development strategies.
American Governance
USCET's earliest initiative in China, the Congressional Practicum, has expanded to include elections seminars, training sessions and annual lectures that build knowledge among Chinese professionals, officials, and students about the workings of the US legislative and political process. Past programs have included case studies, hands-on training, and interactive exchanges among US and Chinese experts.USCET Student Leaders Exchange
This program was the first in the United States to be launched under President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
’s "100,000 Strong" Initiative to increase the number of American students studying in China. The program provides grants to American universities to encourage students to study abroad in China. Universities will use the funds to award travel grants to students enrolled in summer, semester, and academic year study abroad programs. Current partner universities include Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, The University of Arkansas, and The University of North Alabama
University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is a coeducational university located in Florence, Alabama, and the state's oldest four-year public university....
.
Summer Institutes
Summer Institutes are short term academic sessions for Asian students and scholars in the United States. The 2010 Summer Institute, entitled “U.S. Foreign Policy for East Asian Student Leaders,” brought 20 undergraduate students from China, Korea, and Japan to Washington, DC for a four-week academic program about American politics and society. The 2010 Institute combined classroom discussions, guest lectures, field trips, and a study tour.Greenberg/Starr Scholarships
Named in honor of American businessman and philanthropist Maurice Greenberg, this program supports the studies at 10 Chinese students from low-income families each year, covering the cost of their full tuition at Yunnan UniversityYunnan University
Yunnan University is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in Yunnan province, China. Its main campuses are located in the provincial capital city of Kunming...
.
USCET-TFAS Fellowships
USCET sponsors the participation of several Chinese university students at summer institutes organized each year by The Fund for American StudiesThe Fund for American Studies
The Fund for American Studies is an educational non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1967, the organization’s stated goal is to “prepare young people for honorable leadership by educating them in the theory, practice and benefits of a free society.”-History:In 1967, Charles...
(TFAS) at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. Summer institutes cover a variety of topics including political journalism, philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and voluntary service, business and government affairs, and comparative political and economic systems.
Law programs
USCET is the programs arm of the F.Y. Chang Foundation, a fund endowed by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch and her husband Stuart Marshall Bloch at Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1988. The foundation was established in memory of Bloch’s father, Chang Fuyun, the first Chinese national to graduate from Harvard Law School, and offers scholarships to Chinese students to study at Harvard Law. In addition, the fund sponsors an annual FY Chang Lecture, which brings together eminent legal scholars and jurists from China, the US, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to speak at the Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
Law School. The 2010 FY Chang Lecture was given by former US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky
Charlene Barshefsky
Charlene Barshefsky served as United States Trade Representative, the country's top trade negotiator, from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, she was the Deputy USTR from 1993 to 1997.- Life and career :...
.
History
Bloch first laid initial groundwork for the US-China Education Trust while serving as a Visiting Professor at the Institute for International Relations at Peking University during the 1998-1999 academic year. That year she lectured on American politics and US-China relations at the university and organized an international conference on the Asian Financial Crisis. She established a survey course at the university in American Civilization, a class which remains very popular on the campus today.In 2001, USCET launched its first official project, a Congressional Studies program held at Fudan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
's Center for American Studies. The organization formed a longstanding partnership with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) in 2001, launching its first American Studies Summer Institute for Chinese undergraduate and graduate students at Georgetown University.
In 2004, the organization pioneered the foundation of the American Studies Network (ASN), a network of Chinese universities with American studies programs which currently includes 50 members. USCET's inaugural Financial Media Institute opened at Fudan University's School of Journalism in 2006. Directed by Terry Smith
Terry Smith
Terry Smith may refer to:*Terry Smith , British jazz guitarist*Terry Smith , Australian politician*Terry Smith , player with St Kilda and Richmond...
of PBS and Al Kamen of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the program brought together 22 journalism students from across China to complete an intensive certificate program. 2006 also saw USCET cooperating with the U.S. Department of Labor in delivering its first legislative training program with the Peoples Congresses of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
on Mine Safety. The program, designed to help China develop and implement laws to prevent mine accidents and deaths, addressed a high priority area of Chinese policymaking. Subsequent FMI’s have been held alternately at Fudan University and Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Baptist University is a publicly-funded tertiary institution with a Christian education heritage. It is the sole surviving institution of 13 major Christian universities that once operated on the Chinese mainland,...
.
The success of the Financial Media Institute led USCET to expand its activities within media education. In 2008 the organization successfully co-sponsored a Symposium on Global Journalism Education Reform with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
at Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
. This predated the formal launch of the Media Education Consortium in 2009. In its two years of operation the MEC has become a vehicle to expose Chinese media educators to Western journalism philosophy and practices and improve the quality of training to China’s next-generation broadcasters and journalists. MEC activities now include an annual conference, short-term academic workshops for Chinese graduate students, and a Journalist-In-Residence Program.
In 2010, USCET became the first organization to launch a program under President Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative to increase American academic exchange with China. The program, called the USCET Student Leader Exchange Program, will offer competitive travel grants to sponsor universities who demonstrate considerable effort to expand the number of undergraduates they send to study abroad in China. USCET first unveiled the program in a joint announcement at USCET’s 7th American Studies Network (ASN) conference with Carola McGiffert, US State Department Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific.
Additional activities
Resources: USCET’s website includes a comprehensive database of online resources related to American Studies, US-China relations, and academic exchange institutions between the US and China. A 2010 article by Terry Lautz in The Chronicle of Higher Education applauded this database as “a good model” for expanding American academic presence in China.Awards programs: In 2010 USCET held the first annual Congressional Visionary Award, presented to honor “courage, foresight, and pioneering leadership in advancing US-China relations.” The first annual awards luncheon honored Senator Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
who, as the mayor of San Francisco, launched the first ever “sister cities” relationship between an American city and a Chinese city, with the city of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. At the organization’s 20th anniversary gala in 2009 it honored former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson with an Executive Leadership Award.
Funding
USCET’s funding base includes a variety of private foundations, government agencies, and corporate sponsors.Past donors include:
- The United States Department of State
- The Henry Luce FoundationHenry LuceHenry Robinson Luce was an influential American publisher. He launched and closely supervised a stable of magazines that transformed journalism and the reading habits of upscale Americans...
- The Starr Foundation
- The Ford FoundationFord FoundationThe Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
- Van Eck GlobalVan Eck GlobalVan Eck Associates Corporation and Van Eck Securities Corporation are together referred to as Van Eck Global.- About Van Eck :Van Eck Global is an investment management firm founded in 1955 and based in New York City. The firm was among the first U.S...
- Mohave Development
- Nationwide Insurance
- American Resort Development Association
- Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
- Fidelity InvestmentsFidelity InvestmentsFMR LLC or Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world. It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm...
- PrudentialPrudential FinancialThe Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
- Raytheon InternationalRaytheonRaytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
- Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation
- ULLICO Inc.
- UnitedHealth Group