Ni hao. It is such a pleasant andan honor to be here with all of you at this great university…Thank you so muchfor having me.
And before I get started today, on behalf of myself and myhusband, I just want to say a few very brief words above Malaysian(sic) AirlineFlight 370.
As my husband has said, the United States is offering as manyresources as possible to assist in the search.
And please know that we are keeping all the families and lovedones of those on this flight in our thoughts and prayers at this very difficulttime.
And with that, I want to start by recognizing our newsAmbassador to China Ambassador Baucus…President Wang…Chairman Zhu…VicePresident Li. Director Cueller, Professor Oi and the Stanford center…PresidentSexton from New York University which has an excellent study abroad program inShanghai…and John Thorton, Director of the Global Leadership Program at TsinghuaUniversity…thank you all so much for joining us.
And most of all, I want to thank all of the student for beinghere today…and I particularly want to thank Eric Schafer and Zhu Xuanbao forthat extraordinary English and Chinese introduction.
That was such a powerful symbol of everything I want to talkwith you about today.
You see, by learning each other’s languages - and by showingsuch curiosity and respect for each other’s cultures - Mr. Schafer and Ms. Zhuand all of you are building bridges of understanding that lead to so much more.
And I’m here today because I know that our future depends onconnections like these among your people like you across the globe.
That’s why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don't justvisit palaces and parliament and meet with heads of state.
We also come to schools like this one to meet with students likeyou.
Because we believe that relationships between nations are notjust about relationship between governments or leaders…they’re aboutrelationships between people, particularly our young people.
So we view study abroad programs not just as an educationalopportunity f or students…but also as a vital part of America’s foreign policy.
You see, through the wonders of modern technology, our world ismore connected than ever before.
Ideas can cross ocean with the click of a button.
Companies can do business and complete with companies across theglobe.
And we can text, email and skype with people on every continent.
So studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to spend a semester-it’squickly becoming the key to success in our global economy.
Because getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just aboutgetting good grades or test scores in school…it’s also about having realexperience with the world beyond your borders - experience with languages,cultures and societies very different from your own.
Or, as the Chinese saying goes: “It is better to travel tenthousand miles than to read ten thousand books.”
But let’s be clear, studying abroad is about so much more thanimproving your own future - it’s also about shaping the future of yourcountries and of the world we all share.
Because when it comes to the defining challenges of our time -whether it’s climate change, or economic opportunity, or the spread of nuclearweapons...these are shared challenges.
No one country can confront them alone...the only way forward istogether.
That’s why it’s so important for young people like you to liveand study in each other’s countries.
Because that’s how you develop that habit of cooperation - youdo it by improving yourself in someone’s culture…by learning each other’sstories…and by getting past the stereotypes and misconceptions that too oftendivide us.
That’s how you come to understand how much we all share.
And that’s how you realize that we all have a stake in eachother’s success - that cures discovered here in Beijing could save lives inAmerica…the clean energy technologies from Silicon Valley in California couldimprove the environment here in China…that the architecture of an ancienttemple in Xi’an could inspire the design of new buildings in Dallas or Detroit.
And that’s when the connections you make as classmates orlabmates can blossom into something more.
That’s what happened when Abigail Coplin became an AmericanFulbright Scholar here at Peking University.
She and her colleagues published papers together in top sciencejournals…and they both research partnerships that lasted long after theyreturned to their home countries.
Professor Niu Ke from Peking University was Fulbright Scholar inthe U. S. last year…and he reported, and I quote, “the most memorableexperience were with my American friends. ”
These lasting bonds represent the true value of studyingabroad…and I am thrilled that more and more students are getting thisopportunity.
China is currently the fifth most popular destination forAmericans studying abroad.
And today, the highest number of exchange students in the U.S. arefrom China.
But still, too many students never have this chance…and some thatdo are hesitant to take it.
They may feel like study abroad is only for wealthy students, orstudents from certain kinds of universities.
Or they may think to themselves: “Well, that sounds fun, but howwill it really be useful in my life?”
I understand where these young people are coming from, because Ifelt the same way when I was in college.
You see, I came from a working class family… and it never evenoccurred to me to study abroad.
My parent didn’t get to attend college, and I was focused ongetting into a university and earning my degree so I could get a job andsupport myself.
And for a lot of young people like me who are struggling toafford a regular semester of school paying for plane tickets or living expensehalfway around the world just isn’t possible.
And that’s not acceptable, because study abroad shouldn’t justfor student from certain backgrounds.
Our hope is to build connections between people of all races andsocioeconomic backgrounds because it is that diversity that makes our countryso vibrant and strong…and our study abroad programs should reflect the truespirit of America to the world.
That’s why, when my husband visited China back in 2009, heannounced our 100,000 Strong initiative to increase the number and diversity ofAmerican students studying in China.
And this year, as we mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of thenormalization of relations between our countries…the U.S. Government actuallysupports more American students in China than in any other country in theworld.
We’re sending high school, colleges and graduate students hereto study Chinese…we’re inviting teachers from China to teach Mandarin inAmerican schools...we’re providing free online advising for students in Chinawho want to study in the U.S…and the U.S.-China Fulbright program is stillgoing strong with more than 3,000 alumni.
The private sector is stepping up as well.
For example, Steve Schwarzman, the head of an American companycalled Blackstone, is funding a new program at Tsinghua University modeled onthe Rhodes Scholarship.
And today, students from all kinds of backgrounds are studyinghere in China.
Take the example of Royale Nicholson from Cleveland, Ohio whoattends New York University’s program in Shanghai.
Like me, Royale is a first generation college student…and hermother worked two fulltime jobs while her father worked nights to support theirfamily.
Of her experience in Shanghai, she said, “This city oozespersistence and inspires me to accomplish all that I can.”
And then there’s Philmon Haile from the University of Washingtonwhose family came to the U.S. as refugee from Eritrea when he was a child.
Of his experience studying in China, he said, “study abroad is apowerful vehicle for people-to-people exchange as we move into a new era ofcitizen diplomacy.”
“a new era of citizen diplomacy ”- I couldn’t have said itbetter myself, because that’s really what I’m talking about...I’m talking aboutordinary citizen reaching out to the world.
And as I always tell young people back in America, you don’tneed to get on a plane to by a citizen diplomacy.
I tell them that if you have an internet in your home, school,or library, within seconds, you can be transported anywhere in the world andmeet people on every continent.
That’s why I’m posting a daily travel blog with videos andphotos of my experiences in china - because I want young people in America tobe part of this visit.
That’s really the power of technology - how it can open up theentire world and expose us to ideas and innovations we never could haveimagined.
And that’s why it is so important for information and ideas toflow freely over the internet and through the media.
Because that’s how we discover the truth...that’s how we learnwhat’s really happening in our communities, our country and our world.
And that’s how we decide which values and ideas we think arebest - by questioning and debating them vigorously…by listening to all sides ofevery argument...and by judging for ourselves.
And believe me, I know this can be a messy and frustratingprocess.
My husband and I are on the receiving and of plenty ofquestioning and criticizing from our media and our fellow citizens...and it’snot always easy...but we wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Because time and again, we have seen that countries are strongerand more prosperous when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can beheard.
And as my husband said, we respect the uniqueness of othercultures and societies.
But when it comes to expressing yourself freely, and worshippingas your choose, and having open access to information – we believe those areuniversal rights that are the birthright of every person on this planet.
We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to fulfilltheir highest potential as I was able to do in the United States.
And as you learn about new cultures and form new friendshipsduring your time here in China and in the United States, all of you are theliving, breathing embodiment of those values.
So I guarantee you that in studying abroad, you’re not justchanging your own life…you’re changing the lives of everyone you meet.
As the great American President John F. Kennedy once said aboutforeign students studying in the U.S., “I think they teach more than theylearn.”
And that is just as true of young Americans who study abroad.
All of you are America’s best face, and China’s best face, tothe world.
Every day, you show the world your countries’ energy,creativity, optimism and unwavering belief in the future.
And every day, you remind us of just how much we can achieve ifwe reach across borders…and learn to see ourselves in each other…and confrontour shared challenges with shared resolve.
So I hope you will keep seeking these kinds of experiences.
And I hope you’ll keep teaching each other…and learning fromeach other…and building bonds of friendship that will enrich your lives andenrich our world for decades to come.
You all have so much to offer, and I cannot wait to see all thatyou achieve together in the years ahead.
Thank you so much. Xie Xie.
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