What are classes like at TBC (Spring 2024)?
While looking at applying to The Beijing Center were there a few questions left unanswered? I know there definitely were a few for myself when I was researching this program as an option for study abroad. Among a few others, one genre of questions that kept popping up for me were: what classes will I be able to take? What will the classes be like? And, what’s the scheduling like? I’m here to answer these for you as well as share my story in the process of course registration/course equivalencies.
Why should you come to China and TBC? Including Personal Interviews
Why should you come to China? You mean besides the diverse culture, beautiful atmosphere, and delicious food? Even with the incredible things China has to offer, many people are, understandably, hesitant to commit to it as their study abroad destination, whether due to the language barrier, political concerns, or being so far away from their family. I shared all these sentiments before committing and coming here, and these worries followed me all the way to the 14-hour flight that brought me to Beijing. However, after being here I realized what was worth worrying about and what turned out to not be a big deal.
Yunnan Excursion Trip: Discovering the Naxi and Bai Cultures
In our previous article, we explored the rich tapestry of Yunnan’s Huayao Yi and Dai communities. Continuing our Excursion Trip, this time we journeyed to Baisha Village, home to Naxi culture nestled at the foot of the majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, followed by an enchanting exploration of Dali, renowned for its Bai heritage.
Yunnan Excursion Trip: Exploring the Huayao Yi people and Dai people’s Ethnic Charm
Each year, TBC would take students to two Excursion Trips, one in Yunnan, and one in Silk Road, to explore China deeply. For students of Spring 2024 this time, after three weeks of arriving in China, they went on the excursion trip to Yunnan province in Southwest China. As China’s most ecologically and culturally diverse province, Yunnan offered the students an opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of minority cultures, notably the Yi, Dai, Naxi, and Bai peoples. This expedition provided an in-depth look into the region’s history, culture, and ecology.
Exploration and Transformation: Nabeeha’s Journey in China
Previously Pasheen, a fall 2023 student from the “Study Abroad” program, shared her spontaneous adventure in China. This time, in our ongoing series of interviews, it’s Nabeeha’s turn to illuminate her unique journey through the diverse tapestry of Asian culture.
Study Abroad in China: A Spontaneous Adventure
As the semester is coming to an end, we caught up with Pasheen, a Fall 2023 student from the “Study Abroad” program, who shared her challenges and adventures as a beginner in Chinese language and culture.
LANGUAGE AS IDENTITY ON THE SILK ROAD
TBC Student Nabeeha Misbah introduces a student project made as a final for her TBC1100 course, Silk Road Excursion: a way for students to more deeply contextualize their experience after two weeks of travel westward from Beijing at the beginning of the semester.
ARTISTS ROCK: VISITING AN ART SCHOOL ON THE SILK ROAD
Although we visited many locations while on the Silk Road Excursion, visiting Xiahe and the Snowland Arts school was definitely one of my favorite experiences. Located within walking distance of the famous Labrang Monastery, Snowland Arts is a small but beautiful school hosted in the home of Tenzin Dolma – the owner and sole teacher of the learning center. Standing outside the door I could sense a homely and welcoming energy. The sign outside reads, “Welcome to Snowland Arts” on a chalkboard sign next to a rock painted “Artists Rock.”. In the distance behind the school, you can see the Tibetan mountains making it a magnificent view.
SUMMER AND THE CAMPUS
Cliché as it may sound, Beijing is a city of many faces; the Beijing you encounter today will very possibly not be the same Beijing you’ll see tomorrow or the day after that. The UIBE campus suffers, or actually enjoys the same fate as all Beijingers! We go from marveling at the picture-perfect autumn hues from the orange skies and yellow rustling leaves, between September and November to the clear blue skies of the frigid and dry winters with temperatures that go down to -12ºC in the nights. Around March, the weather slowly transitions to spring with the sun, bringing out the green buds as it gets warmer by the day. The gradually rising temperatures eventually usher in summer – the most anticipated season of the year. Summer is anticipated not only because it’s when students can press pause and go on holiday, but also it sets the ideal atmosphere that urges the best of us to indulge our impulses and cross the fun things off our yearly to-do lists.
THE BEIJING CENTER OPENS FIRST SATELLITE SITE
The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (TBC), founded by Fr. Ron Anton SJ in 1998, has formally opened its first satellite site inside Mainland China. The Kunming Liya Center, or 昆明理雅学苑, is located in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Yunnan Province is one of China’s southernmost provinces, bordering Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Kunming is often referred to as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ for its fair climate and lush biodiversity.
AN INTERVIEW WITH TBC’S MARTIAL ARTS PROFESSOR
The Beijing Center turns 25 in 2023.
Professor Howard Hao, martial arts master and Tai Chi teacher, began with TBC in 2002 and has seen over twenty years of students come and go since then. Before being a professor, he was mentor, tutor, and roommate to American students. He’s well-known in the martial arts education world for his novel pedagogical approach, work towards bringing Wushu to the Olympics, and a client list that includes TBC students to celebrities and everyone in between.
In celebration of TBC’s milestone, Professor Hao – who is known by his students as just Howard – shared his story and his fondest memories with TBC.
POPULAR CHINESE APPS – WEIBO
Sina Weibo, often dubbed “China’s Twitter”, is one of China’s largest and most popular social media platforms. Just like Bilibili, which we covered in a different blog post, it was launched in 2009 by Sina Corporation – hence the name Sina Weibo, although it is more popularly known as just ‘Weibo.’ Despite the nickname, Weibo is more than just a replica of Twitter or a microblog platform. It’s a social media tool that combines rich multimedia information and resource sharing, varied idea exchange, and online conversation.
POPULAR CHINESE APPS – BILIBILI
Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) is China’s largest pop culture and entertainment community for young people. Founded in 2009, it used to be a platform for sharing social content like videos of virtual idol Hatsune Miku and animated series, but now it’s an online pop culture community that spans anime, cartoons, games, music, painting, fashion, life, technology, to name a few genres.
POPULAR CHINESE APPS – WECHAT
The Chinese social media ecosystem is fast evolving, but if you live outside of China, you’re probably using a different set of social media sites.
Chinese online culture is flourishing, with its own internet terminology and suite of apps that can help Mandarin learners improve their Chinese. Spending just a few minutes a day on your favorite Chinese social media app can help you improve your language skills.
In China, social media platforms perform comparable services to global platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube but in slightly different ways.
KEEPING UP WITH TBC: SPRING CONFERENCES
If you ever wonder what staff at TBC are up to when it’s summer break and there’s no students, the answer is easy – talk about our students! These past two weeks I had the opportunity to talk about our Virtual Internship Program with an audience of international educators at NAFSA’s conference and with our fellows in the Jesuit community at a conference hosted by Universidad Iberoamericana and the AUSJAL (Association of Universities Entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America).
ETHICS IN THE AGE OF AI – VIRTUAL EVENT RECAP
On 5 November 2021, The Beijing Center (TBC) was proud to have three speakers shared their critical opinions on our online event, “Ethics in the Age of AI”, as a part of the “East Meets West Talk” series. Against the backdrop of the emergence and development of artificial intelligence (AI), this event explored the intersection of AI, morality, and ethics within cross-cultural perspectives. Read more below or watch the full event recording here.
ETHICS IN THE AGE OF AI – VIRTUAL EVENT
Part of “East Meets West Talks” series, The Beijing Center presents “Ethics in the Age of AI.” The emergence and development of artificial intelligence has raised many ethical questions regarding its growing impact. Our interactive discussion will focus on exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, morality, and ethics. The specific focus will be on cross-cultural perspectives on AI deployment and stereotypes, as well as the extensiveness of data collection.
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH AND THE BEIJING CENTER SIGN GUARANTEED TRANSFER ADMISSION AGREEMENT
On July 16, 2021, The University of the South and The Beijing Center (TBC) signed an admission agreement to further support international students’ transition to an undergraduate program in the US. The Guaranteed Admission Program agreement will be in effect for five years, guiding students to successfully complete their bachelor’s degree at the University of the South, following preparation at TBC.
NEW COLLABORATION PROGRAM BETWEEN THE BEIJING CENTER AND SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY – INTERNATIONAL YEAR ONE PROGRAM
On July 7, 2021, The Beijing Center (TBC) entered into a new partnership becoming the only cooperative teaching center in Northern China to facilitate Syracuse University’s International Year One Online-Merge-Offline (OMO) Program for incoming freshman students.
SPRING 2021 AMERICAN PATHWAY PROGRAM SEMESTER CONCLUDES
Another semester has come to an end as our American Pathway Program students continue their studies at their respective US universities after a notable and eventful experience at The Beijing Center.
Beginning in Fall 2020, the American Pathway Program has been hosting Chinese students pursuing bachelor’s degrees from US partner universities.