To mark 25 years of the only IAJU institution in the Chinese Mainland, The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies gathered friends and alumni on the evening of November 28 to cherish the sweet memories of the past and look forward to the bright future. Continue reading “The Beijing Center 25th Anniversary Celebration”
The Beijing Center 25th Anniversary Celebration
Scholars of the Schwarzman College of the Tsinghua University visit the Beijing Center
Earlier this month, Schwarzman Scholars from the 2020-2021 Cohort paid a visit to TBC. As part of their commencement celebrations, they had the opportunity to visit important heritage sites like the Forbidden City Continue reading “Scholars of the Schwarzman College of the Tsinghua University visit the Beijing Center”
TBC Welcomes Bishop Chow, SJ On His Visit to Beijing
The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, the pre-eminent Jesuit education center in mainland China, had the honor of welcoming Bishop Stephen Chow, SJ, to our campus on Thursday, April 20 Continue reading “TBC Welcomes Bishop Chow, SJ On His Visit to Beijing”
Messaging has never had more Matteo
As part of our 25th Anniversary celebrations, The Beijing Center has developed a set of Venerable Matteo Ricci SJ moving stickers, which accent texts with style and smiles. Continue reading “Messaging has never had more Matteo”
Student Volunteers From The Beijing Center Teach English To Local Community Children
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.
At Five Loaves and Two Fish, the dedicated volunteers continue to support local communities of migrant children in Beijing, by providing them a safe space to improve their education and nurture their well-being, as their families work towards a better living. As part of this community service, The Beijing Center students participate by extending their knowledge to help the children learn more by running lively activities for the children on the weekends.
On arrival, the students were welcomed by Fr. Zevola Giovanni, the organization’s founder, and devoted supporter. While The Beijing Center’s Executive Director, Dr. Simon Koo, and Fr. Giovanni exchanged a few words, the students became acquainted with the children they would be teaching for the day.
The Beijing Center students and staff came prepared with a lesson plan to teach the children English. The lesson plan included an engaging rhythmic children’s cartoon in English, which presented new vocabulary words that were used in the following game. After watching the cartoon, the children were able to better understand and memorize the new words, and their knowledge was tested in a fun banter game of guessing words in English. The students were able to teach the children new words in an interactive way, by using their English skills to help them practice speaking and reading in another language. This lingual delight left the children energized and student-volunteers inspired by the positive influence they created.
Through such service-learning activities, which are part of the academic curriculum at The Beijing Center, students are able to develop holistic perspectives by encountering and engaging with marginalized communities, while also providing an invaluable experience to children who greatly benefit from additional and diverse learning activities.
Founded in 1998, The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (TBC) is a center of higher education in mainland China committed to fostering mutual understanding between China and other cultures through cultural exchange, education, and research. What makes us unique is our placement in a long and storied tradition of Jesuit education, one that teaches us that true cultural engagement starts first with friendship. To learn more, visit https://thebeijingcenter.org or email info@thebeijingcenter.org.
TBC stand with the Asian community
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.
As we firmly stand with the Asian community now and always, we recognize the severity of this occurrence and the urgent need for positive change and global unity. The effects of this act of violence reach beyond Atlanta, reminding us all of the harsh reality – that any individual, regardless of race and ethnicity, can be targeted and that we should work towards eliminating the propensity for violence.
As an international education institution built on a multicultural Jesuit identity, we can’t help but be grateful for the inclusive and diverse community and company culture we have cultivated. In doing so, we are taking this racially-motivated violence towards the Asian community with a heavy heart and an open mind into further understanding the intricacy of injustices brought on by intersectionality.
How Tombstones are Helping Uncover the Jesuits’ History in China
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. Continue reading “How Tombstones are Helping Uncover the Jesuits’ History in China”
Multiplying the five loaves and two fish
Each semester, students at The Beijing Center (TBC) are encouraged to participate in local service-learning activities to practice the Jesuit tradition of helping others and attaining a sense of social responsibility. This fall semester, TBC students volunteered at Five Loaves and Two Fish, an organisation acting to support migrant worker families. Continue reading “Multiplying the five loaves and two fish”
The Bejing Center Welcomes New American Pathway Program Students
On Friday, September 11, 2020, The Beijing Center (TBC) welcomed its Fall 2020 cohort comprised of local Chinese freshman from the College of the Holy Cross, Saint Joseph’s University, University of Notre Dame, and University of the South. Continue reading “The Bejing Center Welcomes New American Pathway Program Students”
THE 410TH ANNIVERSARY OF MATTEO RICCI’S DEATH
Four hundred and ten years ago on May 11, 1610, the world lost a leading facilitator in the development of intercultural communication, and in turn,
solidified his reputation and legacy as the founder of cultural exchange between China and the West. Italian Jesuit missionary, Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), broke the ideological barriers between China and the West through equality and friendship.
Ricci’s contribution is well-known to those who have experienced intercultural communication and have seen the transformation of Chinese and Western relations over the years. Particularly prominent within the Jesuit community, Ricci spent 28 years in China, becoming the first scholar to holistically study Chinese culture. In doing so, he compiled numerous Western natural science books in collaboration with Chinese scholars such as Xu Guanqi, Li Zhizao, and Yang Yanjun. These books covered advanced knowledge of Western science and culture, that gradually contributed to the enrichment of Chinese culture. One of his works in particular, Four Books, has become regarded in the West as the basis for understanding China.
As he left his mark on the world, Ricci’s influence also became engrained in The Beijing Center’s foundation and core values.
His teachings and guidance have shaped the direction and prosperity of the international education and exchanges TBC works towards providing. In a continuing effort to honor and remember Ricci, TBC highlights his legacy by providing students with a tour of Ricci’s tomb in Beijing during their studies, so they can learn about his history in China. This experience serves as a reminder of the union of cultures and how far intercultural exchange has come.