Higher Education Institutional & Organizational Policies/Statements on Academic Travel to China Related to 2019-nCoV (Coronavirus)

March 17, 2020 Update

Jessica Oldford and I will no longer be updating this list here on IHEC Blog.  The Forum on Education Abroad has started a COVID-19 Program Status Tracker at https://forumea.org/covid-19-program-status-tracker/.  Jessica and I will collaborate with the Forum on Education Abroad on this tracking project and I encourage everyone to visit their COVID-19 Program Status Tracker page and contribute to the project via the instructions listed there.

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This list below was compiled in collaboration with my colleague Jessica Oldford, Director of Global Student Experience | Global Initiatives, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.

Click on the name of each institution or education abroad provider to read current statements/policies on academic travel to China.  This list does not include institutions or programs that have indicated that they currently do not have students, faculty or staff in China.

CDC Guidance for Student Foreign Travel for Institutions of Higher Education

Letter from CDC's Travel Health Branch to U.S. college and university student health centers and international study abroad program offices

"Coronavirus Critical Resources" via NAFSA at https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/coronavirus-critical-resources

"These airlines have suspended flights to and from China" CNN Article

Following are two resources that I find very helpful in putting 2019-nCoV in perspective and I thank Mark Ashwill of Capstone Vietnam for putting them on my radar:

1. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that so far this season, there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses for the 2019-2020 season, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths in the U.S. The CDC reports there have been 54 reported flu-related pediatric deaths this season from Influenza B viruses." via https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/longevity/480089-coronavirus-sparks-panic-as-flu-poses-greater-threat-to

2. Mapping of 2019-nCoV Global Cases (by Johns Hopkins CSSE):  https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6 and https://systems.jhu.edu/research/public-health/ncov/. 

If your institution or organization has released a policy/statement on academic travel to China and it's not on the list please let me know either via comment on this post or via email at international.ed.consulting@gmail.com.

Institutions of Higher Education
Agnes Scott College
American University
Arizona State University
Asbury University
Baldwin Wallace University
Baylor University
Borough of Manhattan Community College
Boston College (2)
Boston University
Bowling Green State University
Brenau University
Bringham Young University
Brown University
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Case Western Reserve University
City University of New York
Clark University
Clemson University
College of Charleston
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia University
Cornell University
Drexel University
Duke University
Duke Kunshan University
Eastern Washington University 
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Emory University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Florida State University
George Mason University
Georgetown University
Global Education Oregon 
Hamilton College, Associated Colleges in China
Harvard University (2)
Illinois Institute of Technology
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Kean University
Kent State University
Lehigh University
Loyola Marymount University 
Miami University
Middlebury College (2)
Montclair State University
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
NYU Shanghai
Oberlin College and Conservatory
Ohio University
Oklahoma State University
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Portland State University
Princeton University (2)
Providence College
Rutgers University
SOAS University of London
Southern Methodist University 
State University of New York
Suffolk University 
Temple University
Texas A&M
Texas State University
The George Washington University
The Ohio State University
Thomas Jefferson University
Towson University
Trinity University
Troy University
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of Akron
University of Arizona
University of California, Davis (2)
University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)
University of California San Francisco
University of Calgary
University of Canterbury 
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder (2)
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
University of Illinois
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky (2)
University of Leeds
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts Amherst (2) (3)
University of Miami
University of Michigan (2) (3)
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Nevada, Reno 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (see statement in comment statement)
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Iowa 
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of Southern Indiana
University of the Arts London
University of the Pacific
University of Tennessee Knoxville
University of Texas
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Virginia
University of West Florida
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Commonwealth University 
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wayne State University
Western University
William & Mary
Wright State University
Yale University

Education Abroad Providers
AFS Intercultural Programs
Athena Study Abroad
CAPA: The Global Education Network
CET
CIEE
CIS Abroad
Cultural Vistas
IES Abroad
ISA
ISEP
Semester at Sea
SIT
The Beijing Center
USAC (2)

Institutions and Programs Suspending, Delaying or have issued a statement on Academic Programs & Travel to China as reported by the Press or email/listserv announcements.  Working to find official statements and will update as discovered.
Amherst College
Arcadia University
Ball State University
Berlin Free University
Berlin Institute of Technology
Boren Awards
Boston College
Boston University
Bridgewater State University
Carnegie Mellon University
College of Charleston
Colorado College
Dublin City University
Elon University
Furman University
George Washington University
Georgia Tech University
Gettysburg College
Gonzaga University
IFSA-Butler
Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University
Iowa State University
Lamar University
Lehigh University
Louisiana State University
Macalester College
Maynooth University
Medical University of South Carolina
Mercer University
Miami University
Missouri State University
Montana University System
New Mexico State University
Purdue University
Saginaw Valley State University
Salem State University
Simmons University
SIT
St. Clair College
St. Louis University
St. Mary’s University School of Law
Syracuse University
Taylor University
Texas Christian University
Texas Tech University
The Asia Institute
Trinity College Dublin
TU Dublin
University of Alberta
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
University of British Columbia
University College Cork
University of Colorado Denver
University of Florida
University of Iowa
University of Louisville
University of Minnesota (2)
University of Missouri-St. Louis
University of North Carolina at Greensboro - See statement posted in comment section below
University of North Florida
University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon
University of Regina
University of Rhode Island (2)
University of South Carolina
University of Tulsa
University of Windsor
University System of Georgia
Washington State University
Western Kentucky University

Secondary Schools & Provider Programs
AFS Intercultural Programs (also included above)
Edmonton Public Schools
School Year Abroad
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Statements from Chinese Institutions
Peking University
Tongji University (2) (3) (4)

Statements from Programs in Countries other than China
Associated Kyoto Program

Tour Providers
Abercrombie & Kent
Trafalgar
Globus

Resources
World Health Organization

Today I received an email notification that the school my kids attend will receive a $675,000 gift to support educational and collaborative partnerships with China!

My children attend the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.  The Laboratory Schools teach children in 3 year old nursery through high school and was founded by John  Dewey.  Today I received an email indicating that the school received a $675,000 donation from Jun Zhou to support international collaborations between the Laboratory Schools and educators and students from China.  

I have copied and pasted the email below:

Gift to support educational and collaborative partnerships with China for Lab students and educators

A gift of $675,000 from Jun Zhou, chairman of Zhongtong Logistics Company, Ltd., Zhongshou Logistics Company in China, and the Jefferson Education Group, will support exciting international collaborations between the Laboratory Schools and educators and students from China.

The University of Chicago's rich history of scholarly collaboration in China dates to the early 1900s and Lab founder John Dewey spent two years there from 1919 to 1921. During Dewey's time in China, he gained what some have called "superstar" status with people flocking to his lectures or reading them in translation in books and newspapers and widely applying his philosophies of education. Mr. Zhou's gift is inspired by the work that unfolded on that trip, and which Mr. Zhou and Lab hope to continue, believing that Dewey's ideas are still relevant today. Specifically, the gift will allow Lab to:

• Host a conference and commemorative activities celebrating the 100-year anniversary of that 1919 trip. The May 2019 conference will bring together researchers, policy-makers, and school-level educators from the United States and China. It will also invite the Lab community to honor Dewey through hands-on activities and shared explorations.

• Fund student exchanges—study tours and community service work—in the summers of 2018 and 2019, that will focus on cultural understanding in areas such as the arts and leadership development.

• Sponsor professional development for both Chinese and Lab teachers via summer educator exchange programs.

In the span of a century, research partnerships between University of Chicago scholars and their Chinese counterparts have blossomed into dozens of ongoing relationships spanning many fields of study. Lab educators are excited to deepen this connection in the areas of pre-collegiate education and student experience.

"Dewey had a lasting impact on Chinese education," says Laboratory Schools Director Charlie Abelmann. "His landmark trip in 1919 represented the introduction of new ideas that shaped policy and practice. And his travels overseas allowed the ideas that he and his wife, Alice, developed to spread and shape the global educational landscape."

Through his gift, Mr. Zhou hopes that Lab's students and teachers will learn more about "Chinese traditional culture, current China, meet people and see with their own eyes, and think." In this way students will "better prepare for college and have more options when they go to the real world to live and work in the future." Mr. Zhou sees the conference as the first step of new and important collaborations.

Former Lab parent Ling Zhao Markovitz was instrumental in introducing Mr. Zhou to Lab and helping to make this gift a reality. "I've known of Mr. Zhou's admiration for the legacy of John Dewey in China," she says. "As a Lab parent for the past 14 years, I believe in Dewey's approach to children's learning and development. I've seen my own and other children flourish under those founding and guiding ideas, and am confident that the tradition will be continued and extended under Charlie's leadership. That's why we've been motivated to help the Laboratory Schools in any possible way through our own philanthropy and through encouraging the philanthropy of others."

Mr. Zhou is also providing significant funds to support the expansion of Buddhist studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School, as well as a variety of other University-China initiatives.

Says Mr. Abelmann, "The learning partnerships that Mr. Zhou's gift will sponsor are exciting. And through the conference, Dewey's work—championed by an interested and engaged community—will support new ideas and help to shape future educational policy and practice."

CBS This Morning [U.S. News Program] highlights Chinese students at the University of Dayton who announce the basketball games in Mandarin back to China

. 

You can access the video [5:19] at http://bit.ly/2me5zuJ

Foreign Students and the Beijing Imperial Academy (Temple of Confucius at Beijing) during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties

Back in November 2013 I attended the Partnership in International Management (PIM) conference in Beijing, China.  After the conference I spent the weekend in Beijing with my friend Weidong (Jim) and he took me to all of the sites including the Great Wall of China.

One of the places he took me to visit was the Temple of Confucius at Beijing.  Built in 1302, it is the second largest Confucian Temple in China after the one in Qufu.  I really enjoyed my visit and learned that the Imperial Academy, also known as Imperial College, was the highest educational institution in feudal China and it was the only school to enroll foreign students coming from top sending countries such as Korea, Russia, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand among others.

Following are several photos of my visit to the Temple of Confucius at Beijing and a three photos are of display signs highlighting the recruitment of foreign students.

will.i.am Announces Grant 100,000 Strong Foundation to Send Boyle Heights Students to China

Entertainer and philanthropist will.i.am last Thursday announced a major grant from the 100,000 Strong Foundation to his i.am.boyle heights center to create new opportunities for area students to learn Mandarin and study in China.

The $100,000 contribution is part of an ongoing effort by the 100,000 Strong Foundation - launched by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last month - to strengthen the US-China relationship by expanding and diversifying the number of Americans studying Mandarin and studying in China. will.i.amannounced the 100,000 Strong Foundation gift along with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and students from the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA at the i.am.angel Foundation's 2013 TRANS4M conference at the California Science Center.

"The partnership between i.am.boyle heights and the 100,000 Strong Foundation will give kids from my neighborhood the opportunity of a lifetime," will.i.am said. "Learning Mandarin and studying in China can be transformative. I am so grateful to the 100,000 Strong Foundation for helping open doors for these bright and talented young people."

Over the next two summers, the 100,000 Strong Foundation gift will send at least 10 students from Theodore Roosevelt High School to China through Americans Promoting Study Abroad (APSA). It will also help create an after-school Mandarin language program at the i.am.boyle heights center.

"We are thrilled to be working with will.i.am and the i.am.angel Foundation to create new opportunities for Boyle Heights students to learn Mandarin and study abroad," said Carola McGiffert, president of the 100,000 Strong Foundation. "The 100,000 Strong Foundation knows that the future of the US-China relationship rests with our students. They are the leaders of tomorrow who will solve our greatest global challenges."

Said Mayor Villaraigosa: "The city of LA is proud to be a partner of the 100,000 Strong Foundation and to help carry out its very important mission. And as a Boyle Heights native, today's announcement is particularly special. The opportunities created through 100,000 Strong and i.am.angel will arm these students with the cultural understanding, language skills and global experiences to chart our future."

The 100,000 Strong Foundation works with the Confucius Institute at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), which will provide Mandarin language and martial arts classes two days a week starting in September and will offer additional opportunities for Boyle Heights students to study in China under the Chinese government's Bridge Scholarship program.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton remarks at launch of the 100,000 Strong Foundation

Text of her remarks available on the State Department website.

The First Chinese Student to Graduate from a University in the United States

As I continue to settle into my new home and begin to bring Bury Book International Education Library & Archive out of hibernation I am rediscovering all kinds of great and rare publications that focus on international education.

One such publication that I found tonight is: A Survey of Chinese Students in American Universities and Colleges in the Past One Hundred Years (1954). Written in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the graduation of the first Chinese student from an American University, Yung Wing, B.A. from Yale in 1854.  This publication was published under the joint sponsorship of the National Tsing Hua University Research Fellowship Fund & the China Institute in America).  Based on a quick skim of this publication I learned that were a decent number of Chinese students studying in the United States during the last half of the Nineteenth Century and into the early Twentieth Century.  Upon completion of my dissertation this will be one of the first publications I read.

After doing some searching on Google I discovered that Miami University (as do a few other institutions) has this publication in their library holdings.

Abroad101 and IEM Study Abroad Launch $10k China Scholarship Giveaway

Abroad101, the world’s first and largest website featuring study abroad program reviews, has partnered with IEM Study Abroad to offer its first scholarship contest. The “$10k China Giveaway,” which launches today, will grant three lucky students 10,000 dollars worth of scholarships to IEM’s China program in Shanghai, promoting the mission of President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s “100,000 Strong” initiative.

“Abroad101 is committed to helping as many students as possible study abroad by providing insider program reviews for students and universities alike,” says Michael Stone, President of Abroad101. “Given our mutual efforts to promote meaningful international experiences, we are thrilled to support ‘100,000 Strong’ by partnering with IEM to offer a scholarship to encourage more students to study in China.”

Launched in May 2010 by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the “100,000 Strong” initiative is, “a national effort designed to increase dramatically the number and diversify the composition of American students studying in China.”

In a recent statement, Hillary Clinton affirmed, “Today, more than ever, there is a global understanding that no major challenge can be resolved without the active engagement of both the United States and China. That is why President Obama has called upon the nation to build up a cadre of Americans knowledgeable about Chinese history, culture, and language.”

Grammy-award winning musician and producer will.i.am has also become a supporter of this initiative, confirming that, “In order to become responsible global citizens, young people need to experience the world around them. Kids from underserved communities rarely have the opportunity to study and travel abroad, and we want to change that.”

Michael Vu, VP of Programs at IEM Study Abroad, states, “IEM’s Study Abroad participants often refer to their time in China as among the most transformative events of their lives. Whether relaxing at Xing Wei College, touring China’s most historically diverse cities (such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Xi’an and Beijing) or interning in Shanghai with a cosmopolitan corporation, IEM Study Abroad students are deeply immersed in Chinese culture.”

Abroad101 is a popular destination for students to find the perfect study abroad program for their needs. Vu reaffirms that, “Prospective study abroad students already visit Abroad101 to locate exactly the kind of unique and exemplary programs that IEM Study Abroad works so hard to offer – programs that strike a happy balance between flexibility and structure, cultural immersion and cohort participation, adventure and comfort.”

Students can enter the “$10k China Giveaway” contest through October 17th at: http://www.studyabroad101.com/iem-china-giveaway

About Abroad101:

Abroad101 is a review website and online marketplace for the $40B International Education industry. Founded in 2007 by Tufts, Harvard, and MIT graduates, Abroad101’s mission is to promote global citizenship by fostering the most meaningful study abroad experience for all students through technology innovation in higher education. Abroad101 empowers universities with its free market-leading online evaluation tool and provides an advertising and student recruitment platform to global program providers. Abroad101 is a 2010 winner of the MassChallenge global startup competition. To learn more, visit http://www.studyabroad101.com.

About IEM’s China Program:

The IEM Study Abroad China Program presents a blend of East and West unique to the Study Abroad market. Students study at Xing Wei College, where they are able to survey and explore Chinese culture from the structural comfort of a familiar curriculum. At the same time, students participate in the outstanding IEM Peer Mentorship Program. This program intensively pairs each student with a Chinese counterpart who actively introduces that student to the finer points of Chinese culture. IEM Study Abroad has worked hard to ensure that the China experience is one filled with academic challenge, breathtaking excursions, a full schedule of fun activities and memories that will last a lifetime! To learn more, visit http://www.iemstudyabroad.com.

will.i.am on Study Abroad and the 100K Strong Initiative

On July 29, 2011 the United States Department of State announced that will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas will direct a concert later this year in Beijing in support of the 100,000 Strong Initiative.  Below are two short videos of will.i.am talking about the importance of study abroad and international travel with a focus on inter-city youth experiencing these opportunities.








Now, I'm not a huge Black Eyed Peas fan (my wife and kids are fans so I know a bit about them and their music).  However, I am a big fan of their song Where is the Love? from 2003 and if you listen to the song and lyrics (which I believe were created by will.i.am) then you can see that he has always embraced the idea of international/intercultural understanding.  Anyways, enjoy the song...

Secretary Clinton's remarks at the Inaugural Meeting of the Advisory Committee for the 100,000 Strong Initiative

You can read a transcript of Secretary Clinton's remarks here and read a Fact Sheet about Advisory Committee on the 100,000 Strong Initiative here.

Celebration of the first year of the Consultation on People-to-People Exchange

This week the United States Department of State celebrated the achievements during the first year of the Consultation on People-to-People Exchange between the United States and China.  I wanted to post a bit about this this week but given my family move to a new house and no internet connection at home that has proved difficult.  I did want to post about the various videos and transcripts available for you to link to when you have some free time.


Video "Secretary Clinton Celebrates Achievements of U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange" on DipNote.  Text of Secretary Clinton's remarks are available here.  (I'm trying to find a way to embed the video here in this post and will do so if I find a way)


Fact sheet on the U.S.-China CPE Cooperation on the 100,000 Strong Initiative





For me, what is really awesome about this video is that one of the Fulbright alumni featured in the video is a someone I advised on the Fulbright here at The University of Chicago (1:03 & 1:43 minute marks)!

Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui and Kurt Campbell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Discuss Importance of Educational Exchanges and Public Diplomacy

The following video from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) is from a podcast conversation between Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui and Kurt Campbell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific.  The discussion focuses on the U.S.-China Relationship and the importance of educational exchange as a public diplomacy tool and specifically on the 100,000 Strong Initiative (beginning at the 5:15 mark).

Video of First Lady Michelle Obama's "100,000 Strong" China Study Abroad Initiative Event

Those of you, like me, who missed the live webcast of Michelle Obama's 100,000 Strong China Study Abroad Initiative event at Howard University will be happy to know that you can watch the entire event below.

Remarks by the First Lady at the “100K strong” State Visit Event press release from The White House, Office of the First Lady

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release

January 19, 2011

Remarks by the First Lady at ther “100K strong” State Visit Event

Howard University
Washington, D.C.
 

10:51 A.M. EST
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, it is wonderful to be here.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  I am very excited.
 
I want to start by thanking President Ribeau for that very kind introduction but more importantly for his leadership here at one of my favorite universities.  (Applause.)   
 
And I also want to acknowledge my counterpart here at Howard, your First Lady -- (applause) -- Dr. Paula Whetsel-Ribeau.  It is always nice to see her.  And she’s looking pretty good today, too, I might add.  (Laughter and applause.)
 
I also want to recognize Ambassador Chen and thank her for those wonderful remarks, the history of educational exchange between our countries.  It’s important to know.  
 
And I'd also like to acknowledge Mary Kaye Huntsman, the wife of our Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, for taking the time to join us here today.  Let’s give them both a wonderful round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, I want to thank all the folks here from the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center -- (applause) -- for all their work to promote international study and exchange here at Howard.  So thank you all for the work you’re doing.  You’re setting a tremendous example.
 
So we’ve had a pretty busy morning at the White House.  As you know, we welcomed President Hu, the President of China, for an official state visit.  We are so very pleased to have this chance to return the hospitality that President Hu showed my husband during his trip to China a little over a year ago.  
 
Visits like these provide an important opportunity to strengthen ties, and to deepen bonds of understanding between our countries and our leaders.  But as you all know, that work doesn’t just happen at the White House or within the walls of the U.N.  It isn’t just about relationships between our governments and our presidents.  It’s also about relationships between our people –- between our business leaders, and our scientists, our educators, and particularly between our young people.  
 
That’s why, when we travel abroad, my husband and I just don’t visit palaces and parliaments.  We always visit schools and universities and we meet with students just like all of you -- (applause) -- because we believe strongly that young people like you can play a vital role in strengthening ties between people and nations all around the world.  
 
So the topic of today’s panel –- which is the importance of studying abroad, particularly in China –- you have to understand is a key component of this administration’s foreign policy agenda.  
 
Through the wonders of modern technology, our world has grown increasingly interconnected.  Ideas can cross oceans with the click of a button.  We can speak, and text, and email, and Skype, and all that other stuff you guys do with people in every corner of the globe.  Companies here in America can do business –- and compete with –- companies all over the world.  
 
And as a consequence, studying abroad isn’t just an important part of a well-rounded educational experience.  It’s also becoming increasingly important for success in the modern global economy.  Getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about the skills you bring from the classroom.  It’s also about the experience you have with the world beyond our borders -- with people, and languages, and cultures that are very different from our own.  
 
But let’s be clear: studying in countries like China is about so much more than just improving your own prospects in the global market.
 
The fact is, with every friendship you make, and every bond of trust you establish, you are shaping the image of America projected to the rest of the world.  That is so important.  So when you study abroad, you’re actually helping to make America stronger.
 
And these experiences also set the stage for young people all over the world to come together and work together to make our world stronger, because make no mistake about it, whether it’s climate change or terrorism, economic recovery or the spread of nuclear weapons, for the U.S. and China, the defining challenges of our time are shared challenges.  Neither of our countries can confront these alone.  The only way forward, the only way to solve these problems, is by working together.  
 
That’s why it is so important for more of our young people to live and study in each other’s countries.  That’s how, student by student, we develop that habit of cooperation, by immersing yourself in someone else’s culture, by sharing your stories and letting them share theirs, by taking the time to get past the stereotypes and misperceptions that too often divide us.  
 
That’s how you build that familiarity that melts away mistrust.  That’s how you begin to see yourselves in one another and realize how much we all share, no matter where we live.  
 
So the question today is, how do we provide that opportunity for more of our young people?    
 
Now, the good news is that we are headed in the right direction.  In recent years, we’ve seen a 50 percent increase in students studying in China.  And today, the highest number of exchange students in the U.S. are in China -- are from China.
 
But still, there are too many students here in the United States who don’t have that chance.  And some that do are reluctant to seize it.  Maybe they may feel like study abroad is something that only rich kids do, or maybe kids who go to certain colleges; they’re the only ones who do that.  They may hear those voices of doubt in their heads -- you know, the ones that say that, “Kids like me don’t do things like that,” or “How will this really be relevant in my life?”
 
Now, I say this because I understand these feelings.  I felt that same way back when I was in college.  I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, and the idea of spending time abroad just never registered with me.  My brother and I were among the first in our families to go to college.  So, trust me, we were way more focused on getting in, getting through, and getting out -- (laughter and applause) -- than we were with finding opportunities that would broaden our horizons.    
 
And the truth is, with the high cost of college these days, many young people are struggling just to afford a regular semester of school -- (applause) -- let alone pay for the airline tickets and the living expenses to go halfway around the world.   
 
So we know that it’s not enough for us to simply encourage more people to study abroad.  We also need to make sure that they can actually afford it.
 
And that’s why, during this visit -- his visit to China, my husband announced the 100,000 Strong Initiative.  This is a new initiative to increase both the number -- and the diversity -- of young people from the U.S. studying in China.  And, today, we’re pleased to announce a series of new efforts that will bring us even closer to that goal.  
 
To start, Secretary Clinton, who’s been a tireless champion for this program, has just launched a “Double the Numbers Challenge.”  She’s asking college and university presidents to double the number of students who study in China.  And we’re placing a special emphasis on reaching Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Howard.  (Applause.)   
 
To make it easier for students to meet this challenge, we’re launching a new Community College Mini-mester program, providing shorter-term, more affordable study abroad opportunities.  And the Chinese government is offering -- listen to this -- 10,000 scholarships to cover all in-country costs for American students and teachers who study in China.  (Applause.)    
 
To give more high school students the opportunity, right here the DC Center of Global Education and Leadership is creating weekend and after-school Mandarin classes for DC public school students, and they’ll be offering new opportunities for these same students to study in China during the summer.  That’s wonderful.  (Applause.)    
 
And, finally, to help oversee all these new programs and all these wonderful outreach efforts, the State Department has created a high-level federal advisory committee composed of prominent China experts and leaders in business, academic, and the non-profit worlds.  
 
So, we’re making some very good progress.  And I am proud of what we’re doing here because I know, I know, because of what I missed, the impact an opportunity like this can have on a young person’s life.  I know the growth it can spur, the passion it can spark, the sense of direction and purpose it can provide.
 
When reflecting on his time in China, Jason Williams, a graduate of Seattle Pacific University, said -- and this is a quote -- “I’ve come to understand the world as more complex, more interconnected, and more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.”
 
Nina Robinson, who attended School without Walls right here in D.C., described the sense of independence she gained from learning a new language and navigating a new city all on her own.  As she concluded simply -- and this is her quote -- “Not only was this trip an educational experience, but it was [a] life experience.”
 
And I can guarantee all of you that when you study abroad, you won’t just change your own life.  You’ll change the lives of every single person you come in contact with.  
 
President Kennedy once said about young people who come to study in the U.S. -- he said, “I think they teach more than they learn.”  And I think that’s true as well for young Americans who study abroad.  
 
As my husband once put it, “America has no better ambassadors to offer than our young people.”  You all are America’s true face to the world.  You show the world our energy and our optimism.  You show the world our decency and our openness and our compassion.  
 
So, we need you.  We need you out there taking some risks and doing some really hard things.  And that’s certainly true for the four ambassadors that we have on today’s panel.  These impressive young people have each spent time studying in China, and they have generously agreed to share their experiences with us today.  
 
So, with that, I will happily turn things over to Ann Stock, our Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, who will be leading our discussion.  
 
So I want to thank you all, as always.  I love coming to Howard.  (Applause.)  I love seeing you all.  (Applause.)  I am proud of every single one of you who have stepped outside of this comfort zone into another country.  Keep it up.  
 
I want to thank our panelists for joining us.  And I look forward to seeing many of you follow in their footsteps in the years ahead.  So, keep working hard.  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  

END

11:04 A.M. EST