This semester, The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (TBC) has welcomed exchange students from AJCU schools to participate in the YES (Young Envoys Scholarship)program. With anticipation and curiosity, the exchange students have set foot on this unfamiliar land for the first time, starting their new chapter of study abroad.

Each exchange student has a unique story about why they chose China. Maddie, a student from Loyola University New Orleans, came to China as part of the “Magis Exchange” program organized by the International Association of Jesuit Universities(IAJU).

Her encounter with China was a beautiful accident. Initially, in high school, she had planned to study French, but when the course was full, she decided to take a semester of Chinese, intending to switch back to French once a spot opened up. This “accidental” decision sparked a deep fascination with the Chinese language. She found Chinese to be intuitive and straightforward— for example, the word for “thigh”(大腿) simply means “big”(大) + “leg”(腿), and “finger”(手指) translates directly as “hand”(手) + “digit”(指).

The ideographic nature of Chinese characters captivated her, and she has been studying the language for eight years since then.

Ruby’s story, on the other hand, spans across time and distance. Her interest in China began with her parents’ love story, which started in Beijing. Ruby’s mother, a former correspondent for Newsweek, arrived in Beijing in the early 1990s. She wandered through the city’s streets and alleys, capturing moments of Beijing’s rapid transformation. In 1994, she published Insight Pocket Guides Beijing, a travel guide that documented her firsthand experiences in Beijing.

Later, Ruby’s mother moved back to Seattle and worked at Microsoft, where she met Ruby’s father. Coincidentally, Ruby’s father had also lived in Beijing. When Ruby’s mother left the city, she left behind a drawer in her Beijing apartment, and Ruby’s father happened to become the next tenant of that very room. That forgotten drawer became a shared memory that connected them across time and space. Now, Ruby has brought her mother’s book to Beijing, planning to retrace her parents’ footsteps and re-photograph the scenes of 1990s Beijing as they appear today.

On the left, Ruby’s mother’s 1990s Beijing travel guide, with Ruby standing in the same spot today

With their unique connections to China, the exchange students arrived at TBC and began Orientation Week. TBC’s Executive Director, Simon Koo, led the students on a tour of the center, introducing them to the library’s collection of books and artifacts, as well as the rich history behind them.

Chinese students also guided them around the campus of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), helping them become familiar with the campus facilities. The exchange students expressed a desire to further explore the campus throughout the semester, especially the library and classrooms, and to make more Chinese friends.

Following the campus tour, TBC organized an interaction activity between Chinese students and exchange students.

They quickly discovered a shared love for music, with piano and guitar duets filling the TBC lounge, bridging language and cultural barriers. Whether it was classic English songs or moving Chinese folk tunes, everyone was captivated. One of the Chinese students, the vice chair of UIBE’s Guitar Club, invited the exchange students to join the club, and they eagerly expressed their interest in experiencing Chinese campus culture firsthand.

In addition, TBC invited Laury from El Salvador— a student who has been studying at UIBE for six years— to share her experiences of studying in China. Laury introduced the students to vibrant student life at UIBE, including the UIBE International Alumni Association and the UIBE International Youth Culture Festival. She also provided valuable advice on living in China, helping ease the exchange students’ anxieties about studying abroad.

As Orientation Week came to a successful close, the new cohort of exchange students began settling into their lives here, finding their own rhythm. TBC will continue to serve as their warmest support in this unfamiliar land, accompanying them as they embark on a new chapter of their study-abroad journey.