Recently, TBC participated in the Education Committee kick-off meeting hosted by American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China). The meeting focused on enhancing dialogue about education initiatives between the U.S. and China, bridging educational institutions from both countries, and uncovering potential collaborative opportunities with the business sector.
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.
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.
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.
Thankfully, everyone here is very nice and like anywhere else, some students are reserved and may not approach you first, but others will approach you first. You can choose to be the ones to initiate or not but either way finding something you guys can mutually do, like playing sports, is the first step. From there, friendships blossom.
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.
In December 2023, TBC (The Beijing Center) welcomed an old friend—Fr. Antonio Spadaro SJ, an Italian scholar, writer, and a key advisor to Pope Francis. He previously visited TBC in 2019, delivering an academic lecture on “Cultural Fusion in the World.” This time, TBC was honored to host Father Spadaro once again.
One of the most interesting books TBC has in historical collection the original Latin edition of Historia Tartaro-Sinica nova, written by the Belgian Jesuit Francois de Rougemont, and is his eyewitness narrative of the Ming-Qing Transition. That includes the Manchu campaigns against Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) and the foreign missionary activities in China in the mid-17th century.
On December 8th, Anderson Pedroso, President of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and esteemed member of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), embarked on his first visit to China. On the 29th of the same month, President Pedroso had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, where the Pope commended PUC-Rio for its contributions to human and social development through its robust educational and research initiatives.
One of the many perks of living in China as an American is the price of day-to-day living. At my home university, Seattle University, I may have to spend $10-$15 for a single meal, I can expect to pay $1 to $2.50 per meal at one of UIBE’s four canteens. Most frequently, I eat at the International Plaza canteen which is conveniently situated in the basement of the dorm building where all TBC students live. Another one I frequent is the halal canteen which is not too far away from my dorm building and has two floors. Occasionally I will go to the first canteen which has four floors and the second canteen. All canteens at UIBE have a variety of foods to eat and choose from so that I never get sick of eating the same thing every day.