As a junior studying Global Affairs and Chinese, I was very excited when I was accepted to participate in the Duke-UNC Chapel Hill China Leadership Summit as a delegate.
I heard about the opportunity through the GLOA newsletter, and figured I’d apply.
I knew it would be an interesting weekend, but I was unaware of how valuable this experience would really be.
The topic for this year’s Summit was “Unwrapping Uncertainties: U.S.-China Relations in A Less Flat World”.
The conference encourages delegates to go beyond the headline narratives and pursue a deeper view of China that understands how the country’s complex historical, cultural, and societal conditions shape where we stand now.
All of us 170 invited delegates got to hear from a variety of China specialists such as the former General Consul to Macau and Hong Kong, policy tanks and journalists, and academics from the United States and China.
They covered a range of topics such as economic, environmental, human rights, and diplomatic issues.
Over the weekend, I met students from across the country and China, and it was very fulfilling to talk to them about topics where we share many common interests, practice my Mandarin, and learn about post-graduate opportunities that I am now considering for myself.
I even met someone who was studying abroad at the same university as I was in Madrid, Spain last semester, such a small world!
It was also reassuring to hear from so many intelligent and passionate women who work in the field of US-China relations. Historically considering the demographic of those interested in this space, it felt refreshing and inspiring to see that the way is being paved for others like me to achieve our goals in this space.
I am grateful to Duke and UNC for inviting me to their beautiful campuses to have these important conversations and meet such amazing people, and I hope to go again next year!
