Lately, lots of folks on campus have been coming by the Institute. This is probably due to the increased interest in studying abroad in China. Traditionally, the most popular destinations for exchange students have been in Europe. Among the most popular countries were England, France, and Italy. For most of the eighties and nineties, governmental policies in China prevented many American students from spending a semester at one of China’s prestigious universities.
The creation of the China Institute was a response to changing policies in the 2000s. China began to emerge as a global superpower on the world stage, and a more open exchange of culture began to take place. Thus, our Institute was quite popular from the beginning. Originally we sent four students to Peking University and accepted four in return. Now, we send dozens of students per year. The Institute has grown along with increased cultural ties between the two countries.
Here in the US, hundreds of graduate students from China study the natural sciences. There are hundreds of inventions that have been discovered with the help of international graduate students. For example, some groundbreaking work in the development of the vaporizer was done at CalTech with the help of three postdocs from Beijing. Vaporizers have been in use for many years, but their popularity has greatly increased recently due to improved technology. At the China Institute, we believe that we helped contribute to this large and growing market.
Another way in which we try to improve cross-cultural lines of communication is through Chinese language classes. Mandarin can be among the most difficult languages to learn, and some methods of studying are certainly better than others. At the Institute, we have pioneered innovative teaching methods that help develop language skills rapidly and accurately. One can always use Google translate, but that software still has many flaws and doesn’t always give the best translation.
If you are interested in visiting China, we certainly recommend you pay us a visit. Even if you are just traveling there for a week, we have many resources that can help you plan your trip. There are numerous tips that could prove beneficial for the aspiring traveler, and there are many sights to see including the Great Wall. For instance, do you know the best airline to take from Los Angeles, and how long the flight will take? If you’d like to get in touch, we’ll be happy to let you know.
