Second Annual Fulbright Lecturer Program Mid-Year Conference and Spring Orientation in Lijiang
The U.S.-China Fulbright Program is an official educational exchange between the People’s Republic of China and the United States “to provide opportunities for cooperation and exchange in educational fields based on equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit.” We were honored to work with the Fulbright Program for the second time to organize the Fulbright Lecturer Program Mid-Year Conference and Spring Orientation in Lijiang.
Connections to China
The Fulbright Lecturer Program is a semester or year long exchange for American University professors to come teach in China at a Chinese University. All the professors are all established in their respective fields back in the U.S., and they get to share that in-depth knowledge with Chinese students while learning about Chinese culture first-hand from their students and colleagues. Many of this year’s group were coming back to China for the second or third time. One couple was able to spend time with their kids who were working at a Chinese consulate. A few of the professors were Chinese-American and doing a bit of reconnecting to their roots. One couple was even able to recreate a memory from years ago in Kunming that sparked life-long exchange between the friends they met there and their home university in South Dakota.
The diversity of experiences that these professors represent is so important in sharing the diversity of America with China. At the same time, those professors who are scattered throughout China also bring back diverse stories to tell their American students, friends and family.
All of the Fulbright lecturers are experienced educators. They know how to craft a narrative, capture a room, and elocute a point. As part of the conference, we were invited to share a piece of our own Leadership Training with the lecturers. We asked them to think about and discuss how the stories they accumulate while in China can be tools to create lasting impact in their students lives (using a portion of our own Leadership Training, Storytelling for Change). We hope that through their experiences with Fulbright they will be inspired and in turn, inspire their American students to venture to China as well.
Cultural Exploration in Yunnan
It was great to also spend some time outside of the conference room exploring all of the culture that Yunnan has to offer! We ate delicious fresh vegetables and mushrooms, wandered through the touristy but charming old town of Lijiang, and visited nearby villages Baisha and Shuhe, home to the Naxi minority, for a bit more authentic local culture.
Here are some photo highlights from the trip below:
It was a pleasure getting to know each of these individuals, hearing their stories, and meeting their families. We hope to keep in touch with each of them, and we are honored to have been a small part of such a wonderful program and group of people!
About Fulbright
The U.S.-China Fulbright Program is an official educational exchange between the People’s Republic of China and the United States “to provide opportunities for cooperation and exchange in educational fields based on equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit.”