On Monday, May 17, 2021, Pope Francis named Fr. Stephen Chow SJ as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong.
Bishop-Elect Chow, a native of Hong Kong, has served as the provincial of the Jesuits’ Chinese Province since 2018 and has been a supporter of The Beijing Center (TBC) for nearly a decade, currently serving as Vice-chairman of TBC’s board of directors.
The Ignatian Year: May 20, 2021 – July 31, 2022. The Year will open on May 20th, the 500th anniversary of when Ignatius the soldier was injured by a cannonball in the Battle of Pamplona. The Year will conclude on July 31, 2022, the feast day of St. Ignatius. The peak of the celebration will fall on March 12, 2022, the 400th anniversary of the canonization of St. Ignatius. While the Ignatian Year honors the past, we are invited to be future-focused and attend to the Universal Apostolic Preferences.
On May 7, 2021, Sophia University and The Beijing Center (TBC) reached an agreement to enable more Sophia student participation in The Beijing Center’s Virtual Internship Program.
This partnership promotes the mutual efforts of TBC and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP) to offer progressive virtual programs in support of quality online education and experiences.
One of the main aspects we celebrate at The Beijing Center is our inclusivity of diverse groups of people. The community we have cultivated includes people of different cultural backgrounds, race, and sexual identity, as we work towards providing more educational opportunities to learn and promote diversity and inclusion.
This week, TBC has come to the difficult decision to cancel the study abroad programs for Fall 2021 for students outside of China.
While the outspread in some countries (including China) has leveled out, travel restrictions and entry/exit requirements still makes it hard for the greater mobility. In response, TBC upholds the ongoing health concerns and has made a conscious and carefully thought-out decision to prioritize the students’ health and minimize international travel.
The commitment to service-learning has long been a core practice and value for students at The Beijing Center. This semester, the Spring 2021 students had the opportunity to visit an organization that The Beijing Center has collaborated with for years, Five Loaves and Two Fish.
On March 16, 2021, The Beijing Center and Dundalk Institute of Technology signed a transfer agreement in cooperation of facilitating academic and cultural student exchange between China and Ireland. In an effort to connect and embrace the emerging academic and cultural opportunities between Europe and China, The Beijing Center has taken the initiative to expand its international partnerships – specifically in Ireland, a top study abroad destination.
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.