NEWS & EVENTS

We at The Beijing Center (TBC) are all deeply disturbed by the recent violent outbreak against Asian Americans, and we are horrified at the continued unfolding of racially motivated acts of hate and violence. As we collectively continue to battle against the ongoing pandemic, an increase in violence and additional deaths points to the need to expand the awareness of bias and discrimination that is still very much present in our societies.

On Friday, March 19, 2021, The Beijing Center (TBC) welcomed its Spring 2021 cohort of local Chinese freshmen. As we face the continued changing global academic environment, our American Pathway Program resumes hosting local students, allowing them to take relevant courses at TBC as they work towards transferring into an undergraduate degree program abroad.

On March 13, 2021, The Beijing Center held an online webinar discussing a prevalent global issue at the moment – mental health. During a time where a plethora of knowledge is being offered about how to nurture your mental wellness while faced with the ongoing pandemic, three academics came together to provide some unconventional ancient practices that can help increase the connectivity of heart, body, and mind.

Part of “East Meets West Talks” series, The Beijing Center presents a group of experts to share insights from Daoism, Taichi, and Spiritual Discernment, offering tools and techniques to embrace the mind, body, and spirit to help tackle today’s challenges during pandemic times.

On February 15, 2021, Marquette University and The Beijing Center signed a Guaranteed Admission Agreement. Upon meeting the necessary academic and disciplinary requirements, students will be guaranteed admission to Marquette University to pursue their bachelor’s degree.

As an international academic institution with a Jesuit spirit, TBC is actively welcoming inspired and knowledgeable authors, business professionals, and scholars. On January 7, 2021, we had the pleasure of welcoming Chinese author and academic, Dr. Chen Xinyu. Formally educated at Renmin University of China and Sapienza University of Rome, Dr. Chen is currently engaged in the comparison of Chinese and Western philosophy and the archaeological study of Chinese and foreign tombs at the Beijing Administration Institute.

So, it’s that time of year again: the end! What a wonderful time it is, with a year of experiences and memories under our belt and looking forward to another great one. In Chinese culture, the end of a lunar calendar year, Chinese New Year, is a much bigger event than that of the Georgian calendar. Western holidays like Thanksgiving (see our Mid-Autumn Festival article to read about Chinese Thanksgiving) and Christmas are not national holidays. Although New Year’s Day is one, Winter Break for students typically does not begin until early January. This year, however, due to COVID concerns, our students ended their semester mid-December, in accordance with UIBE’s calendar.

With the development of the global pandemic, more academic institutions have adapted and modified education methods. Starting in summer 2020, TBC began offering virtual internship experiences to students interested in China and its growing business market. Just recently, the fall 2020 Virtual Internship Program concluded with an online event recapping the student-interns’ experiences.

Although the global education environment is ever-changing, the on-going COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges that have prompted institutions to expand their teaching and learning methods. While these new ways have positive effects, they have also disrupted student mobility and given rise to assessment and accreditation constraints and jeopardized educators’ and students’ academic pursuits. Along with many institutions, The Beijing Center (TBC) – the only Jesuit center and intellectual hub in mainland China – has implemented new ways to educate students and create cultural exchange opportunities.

A lesser-known aspect of China is that it is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries. In addition to the Han, China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups. A small number of Chinese nationals consider themselves members of non-officially recognized groups, for example, the Jews, Japanese, Oirat, Tuvan, etc. Throughout much of recorded Chinese history, the concepts of nationality, culture, and ethnicity were not exceptionally distinct.