On March 23, 2018 students and administrators from NYU Shanghai came to the Yenching Academy to learn more about its community and student initiatives. NYU Shanghai brought over twenty students from China and the rest of the world. YCA supported the meeting by inviting Yenching students and the Vice President of the Peking University Student Union to discuss Yenching and Peking University at large.
The session began with an introduction from 3rd cohort student Junyang Ng. Junyang introduced the spirit of the Yenching Academy and the broad range of activities that Yenching Students are engaged in. When Junyang concluded his opening statements, 3rd cohort student, Aliza Warwick, took over the session to discuss The Yenching Global Symposium and the goals that Yenching seeks to accomplish through it. Following Aliza, third cohort student, Carl Hooks, introduced the mission behind the Yenching Social Innovation Forum (YSIF). Carl told the students that YSIF is open to applications from undergraduate students and invited the students at NYU Shanghai to apply. A 2nd cohort scholar also discussed some of the jobs and programs that graduated Yenching Scholars went on to participate in. In the conclusion of the session, the Vice President of the Peking University Student Union briefly discussed the ways in which Yenching has been engaged in the greater Peking University community through collaborative efforts with various student associations. The Vice President impressed on the students that, students at Yenching and Peking University were world minded and engaged on a mission to better the world.
When the discussion round ended, students from NYU Shanghai were invited to ask questions. The students were curious about the structure of Yenching classes and how they differed from that of Western universities. The students were also curious about language learning opportunities at Yenching. Some of the administrators from NYU Shanghai also asked questions about Yenching and the opportunities it provides to students. When the session ended, the students and administrators remarked that they were extremely impressed with the Yenching Academy.
When the question round ended, NYU Shanghai students were invited to participate in a brief campus tour. During the tour, they were taken to Weiming Lake and told about its historical significance and importance to student life at Peking University.
By Alexandria Williams
