Foreign students say they found real China during their trip

Dozens of foreign students from prestigious universities, mainly in the United States, visited China and took part in various activities along with their Chinese counterparts last week.

During the program from Aug 2 to 10, over 70 students from eight universities, such as Duke University and Columbia University, visited cities including Suzhou and Nanjing in Jiangsu province, as well as neighboring Shanghai city to understand China through tours and lectures.

Hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial Government and Duke Kunshan University, the program included tours around historic towns, museums, electric bicycle companies, as well as seminars discussing ethics of emerging technologies.

Dianahy Valentin, a student majoring in Neuroscience and Spanish at Duke University, was impressed by Suzhou's urban layout when she visited an exhibition hall and learned how the city is protecting its ancient towns and streets.

She said she was amazed by how China has incorporated some of its traditional aspects into urbanization.

Cole Kannam, a freshman in Statistics at Duke University, said he was intrigued by the history of Nanjing Massacre presented at a museum because he never learned about that and how Nanjing became the capital of six dynasties.

"The memorial itself was also incredibly interesting to me because that's a perspective of World War II that you don't hear as an American," Kannam said.

The young US citizen said coming to China and participating in the program allowed him to see a real China. "There are a lot of common things between here and in America. We both are at similar levels societally in a lot of ways, and together we can solve some big issues," he said.

During the seminar, students discussed strategies that China and the US should adopt to address the ethical challenges posed by cutting-edge technologies, covering topics such as AI governance, gene editing, and data surveillance.

Isabella Suels, a student of Paris Institute of Political Studies who came from Minnesota in the US, said it was enlightening to discuss with Chinese students and embrace different opinions with an open mind. "This is the best steps to get towards cooperation, and to break down stereotypes and stigmas," she said.