美中全球议题对话项目

After months of virtual dialogue discussions, independent research, and a two-leg 20-hour plane trip across the world, it was both exhilarating and a relief to finally meet our Peking University (PKU) student groupmates to begin the in-person sessions of the U.S.-China Student Dialogue. For one, it was confirmation that the late hours spent on campus after class to accommodate the 12-hour time difference was worth it. But the much anticipated in-person meetings were also confirmation of something we all seem to have learned during the lockdowns of the pandemic—that nothing can replace sitting across the table from someone and having a genuine, human-to-human conversation.

We met our Peking University groupmates for the first time in the lobby of the PKU campus hotel where we were staying. Having arrived very late in Beijing just the night before, and after overindulging in the breakfast buffet, I was pleasantly surprised when our PKU groupmates told us that our first agenda item was a tour of the historic grounds of the university now inhabiting part of the former Qing Dynasty imperial gardens.

It was striking to see the university’s modern academic buildings and dormitories sit just minutes away from buildings adorned with traditional upturned roofs and red columns. This fusion was perhaps most visible in the renowned PKU main library. The awe-inspiring building is the largest university library in Asia and reflects the campus’ broader meeting of new and old.

In a similar way, I felt like it also reflected our own trip—an attempt to blend the perspectives and idiosyncrasies of two different student groups studying under the epistemic traditions and contemporary norms of two different educational systems. The question for my group was whether we could overcome those differences to produce, within just two days, a thoughtful and well-researched presentation on how the United States and China could collaborate on climate change.

Ultimately, we did. The discussions we had on campus were even richer and more nuanced than the virtual discussions we had during the semester prior to our visit. We were fortunate to have a classroom designated just for us, allowing for the kind of group research, rigorous debate, and collaborative PowerPoint construction almost every Georgetown student has spent hours doing in Lauinger Library. But instead, we were on the other side of the world.

And yet, it felt quite familiar. Like the Georgetown students, the PKU students were keen to get the facts right, present our argument coherently, and share the burden of the research and presenting equally. It was another example of how we were much more alike than we were different. Our presentation the next day was a success, earning insightful feedback and rigorous questions from our audience of students and professors. But for me, the most meaningful moment came after the presentations concluded and before we departed for lunch.

Prior to the trip, we were asked to bring our PKU groupmates little gifts, tokens of our appreciation for their hospitality as our hosts, tour guides, and new friends. We were excited to share with them what we brought, little pieces of Georgetown and our hometowns. In doing so, we did not expect reciprocity, which made it even more heartwarming when our PKU counterparts revealed they had gifts for us, too. The exchange was more than just a small gesture of kindness. It was the perfect way to cap off an experience where two different groups of people, with vastly different life experiences and at times contradictory views, came together to engage civilly, collaborate effectively, and make meaningful connections that, I believe, will last us quite a long time.

Daniel Lam (G'26) is a student in the Master of Science in Environment & International Affairs program studying environmental science and international security.