With my proficiency in Mandarin and curriculum focus on China, I embarked upon a self-initiated 6-month study abroad program at Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Studies (IIS) in Beijing in Spring 2007.  Dr. Isabel Wong, former director of Institutional & Faculty Collaboration (IFIC) at Illinois, greatly facilitated the establishment of this specially designed program made possible through her strong and long-standing ties with Tsinghua.  Tsinghua is among the top two universites in China and is known for its excellence in the area of engineering, having produced many top government leaders, including the current Chinese President, Hu Jintao.

Aside from conducting all of my course work in the Mandarin language, I had

many opportunities to utilize and expand  my bilingual skills.  Within the first week of arrival, I assisted in language translation at the IIS’ symposium on “Globalization and the Transformation of Political Parties.”  Given the participation of both international (from France, Italy, Germany and Korea) and local speakers, Chinese presentations had to be translated into English and vice versa for the invited speakers from abroad. In summer of 2007, I joined third year International Studies students in an internship at the Legislative Affairs Office (LAO) of the State Council.  Our primary task was to assist the Department of Foreign Affairs with translating English reports produced by various international organizations.  My assignment was to translate the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development report on “Citizens as Partners” into a Mandarin consultation report for LAO to facilitate and encourage public participation in China’s policy-making process. With Beijing working to stage the biggest event in August 2008, I was an active executive member of 2008 Olympic Games Media Operation Volunteer Project at Tsinghua. The committee had recruited up to 600 volunteers, of which 200 were eventually short-listed during the games to assist the media companies.  I worked closely with the vice-president in liaising with international media companies, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, and student volunteers. During a volunteer opportunity at International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) World Magazine Congress, I accompanied members of the foreign media to an evening banquet at the Summer Palace. 

In May 2007, several foreign exchange programs visited Tsinghua, including the University of Pittsburgh, University of Texas, University of Illinois and National Taiwan University.  We participated in field trips to local corporations such as Hyundai Beijing plant (the maker of all Beijing taxis), Yili Yogurt Factory (the biggest yogurt producer in China), Lenovo-IBM Factory as well as Chinese Central TV (CCTV) with Illinois journalism students, led by Professor Nancy Benson, which was an extension of their “Foreign Reporting” course.   Secessionism of Taiwan was the hottest issue of discourse between the political science students from National Taiwan University and their counterparts from Tsinghua University as well as from University of Texas.  There were speculations that Taiwan would time its unilateral declaration independence to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games (which fortunately did not happen). 

Through my study abroad program I gained a better appreciation for issues that are culturally sensitive to Chinese people, for example China’s relationship with Japan.   Anti-Japanese sentiments continue to run deep in China.  Post-WWII history plays prominently in the young minds and embeds even deeper due to the nationalistic education the state provides.  My course on the “Study of Japan” was vital in my understanding of China's perspective on Japan, given the strained ties between China and Japan's Koizumi administration arising from the latter's bi-annual controversial visits to the Yasukuni shrine, the memorial dedicated to Japanese soldiers who died in World War II, but which also houses war criminals.  Such interlinking issues need to be dealt with and have immense impact on the stability in the East Asia region.

My study abroad program in China has fueled my interest to discover more about Sino-Japanese relations in the midst of underlying leadership changes in Asia, along with other issues including U.S. interests enmeshed in the complex relationships between the neighbors.  While visiting a former battlefield of the Russo-Japanese War on the shores of Dalian’s Lushun, I learned that I had been awarded scholarships by the Boren National Security Education Program, the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation and International Programs & Studies at the University of Illinois, to pursue my studies of Japanese language and socio-political history at Tokyo’s International Christian University (ICU) in Japan.  During my year-long exchange at ICU, in 2007-2008,  I gained an appreciation of the spirit of environmental protection among the Japanese that is so vital amid climate change and energy scarcity. I observed that these environmental practices were catalysts in changing Japan’s course in history.

Since the 1960s, there has been a strong civil movement to ensure the Japanese government guarantees a clean environment for its people while its economy was booming.  Living in Tokyo meant having to separate my garbage into seven different categories and taking this waste out for collection on specific days.  This practice prompted me to learn more about the technology being used to protect the environment and how Japan has been the forerunner in this field.  Interestingly, technological collaboration between China and Japan have acted to ease tensions between these two countries. The Sino-Japanese Environment Cooperative, for instance, has held annual symposiums for scholarly exchanges that seek to identify solutions to China’s pollution problems, many of which parallel what Japan went through in the 1960s. Japanese environment protection practices are also worthy of consideration in the US.

My stint in China and Japan has motivated me to keep abreast of international relations in Asia and fueled my aspiration to be involved in facilitating harmonious Asia-U.S. relations. My long-term career objectives include a public service career that allows me to utilize both my Mandarin Chinese and Japanese language skills. I am deeply thankful for the support of the University of Illinois and my professors whose support enabled me to participate in the study abroad program that broadened my understanding of international relations in East Asia.

Xin-Yi Grace Lee is a 2008 LAS graduate in International Studies & Political Science. Although born in Urbana, Illinois, she has spent her development years mostly in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China and the United Kingdom. She currently resides in Washington DC and works for the World Bank. She is part of a team of 7 goodwill ambassadors for the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival to promote goodwill between the US and Japan through festival activities and cultural outreach.