Education is an important foundation for the continuation of human civilization and social sustainable development.
Sino-U.S. cooperation and exchanges in the education field has, over 150 years of history, become an important driving force for the modernization of Chinese society. Over the last 30 years, Sino-U.S. educational cooperation and exchanges have reached significant levels, the combination of American’s excellent educational resources and China’s huge demand for education has had an immeasurable positive effect on the development of education of the two countries.
NCSD is focusing on Sino-U.S. women’s educational cooperation and exchanges in the field of education. In the past 100 years of history, Sino-U.S. women’s educational cooperation and exchanges cultivated a number of outstanding Chinese women, including the Soong Sisters, Lin Qiaozhi, Lin Huiyin, Wu Jianxiong, etc. However, so far, the cooperation and exchanges in the field of women’s education between China and the United States remains limited, and thus has a broad development potential.
In 2016, NCSD is working together with Sweet Briar College, one of the top ten U.S. women’s colleges, and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and other strategic partners in China and the United States, has initiated an educational cooperation and exchange demonstration project – “China Women’s Leadership Training” Program (“Program”). The Program will recommend and fund a certain number of outstanding Chinese young women to go to Sweet Briar College to pursue an undergraduate degree on an annual basis. Chinese women participating in the Program will also have the opportunity to enroll in an intensive 3-summer leadership training program in Washington, D.C., which will enable them to gain a foundational understanding of the U.S. government, scientific research institutions and enterprises, as well as have the valuable opportunity to gain hands-on internship and interact with leaders from all sectors. The Program is committed to cultivating the Chinese young women with sound personality, good cultural education, broad knowledge, deep understanding of American politics, culture and history, as well as a high-level of communication skills; helping them to establish extensive contacts with American mainstream society based on campus friendship and alumnae, and enhancing their execution and leadership in Sino-U.S. civil diplomacy field in the future. The Program will help these outstanding women play significant future roles in the cooperative relations between China and the United States.
NCSD is working together with the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Sweet Briar College, and other strategic partners to undertake an annual “Sino-U.S. Young Women’s Leadership Roundtable”, a “Summer Leadership Training Program” for the U.S. young women in China, and a variety of activities, to promote the two countries continued expansion and exchange in the field of women’s education.
China Soong Ching Ling Foundation Sino-US Youth Friendly Exchange Special Fund
Chinese President Deng Xiaoping, established the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) in 1983 as a memorial to Madam Soong Ching Ling, the honorary president of China to promote amicable international relations and world peace; and to strengthen international exchanges that demonstrate concern for the future of the Chinese nation and to assist in Chinese children’s welfare.
With China’s growing involvement in global affairs, and in particular more cooperation in depth between China and America, both nations will inevitably agree and disagree on many things of interest to both. The development of new patterns of Sino-US interaction to ensure peaceful and mutually beneficial development for the global community are the joint responsibility of China and the United States. The children and young people in China and America are the future of the two countries. To promote and strengthen the communication between Chinese and American youth is an important to develop positive and helpful relationships. In memory of the work and accomplishments of Madam Soong Ching Ling and her legacy carried on today by the CSCLF, CSCLF and the National Center of Sustainable Development (NCSD) have jointly initiated and established the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation-Sino-US Youth Friendly Exchange Special Fund (“Special Fund”).
The mission of the Special Fund is to carry out Sino-US charity activities to promote cultural exchanges between Chinese and American youth.
The use of the fund under Special Fund will be focus on the following programs:
1)Sino-US Youth Exchange Programs, including the program of “China House” which is a permanent, non-governmental youth exchange platform located in Washington DC; the program of “Sino-US Youth Climate Change Knowledge Contest”; and the program of Sino-US Youth Winter/Summer Exchange Camp.
2)Women Leadership Round Table Annual Conference, which will be held alternately in China and the United States. The Conference will invite outstanding Chinese and American women and young women representatives to have dialogue and discussion with topics in social services, occupation, technology and humanities education, etc.; and gradually involve women leaders at the round-table conference sharing an international perspective.
3)To provide scholarship and financial aid for the excellent female high school students who join the “Women Leadership Training Program” held in the United States, to encourage and guide more outstanding Chinese young women’s attention, participation and dedication to public service and Sino-US non-governmental diplomacy; and to promote the “Women Leadership Training Program” to be a high-quality Sino-US women leadership training brand.
4)Other Programs related to Sino-US youth exchange and Sino-US women leadership training.
The Special Fund will promote and provide financial aid for a variety of Sino-US youth cultural exchange activities, and through the non-governmental channels to cultivate Chinese and American young people to share and respect the opinions of each society based upon the perspectives of the different cultures of China and the United States. The goal to be to infuse positive energy to Sino-US relations, and to make contributions to world peace and development.