Last Wednesday, former U.S. ambassador to China Winston Lord came to campus to discuss the "sweet and sour" relationship between the United States and China ("Winston Lord talks China relations," May 10). In his talk, he recommended that the United States work with China to build a Pacific community that would encourage mutual cooperation and foster progress on economic, humanitarian and political issues within an amicable framework. His call for an increased atmosphere of cooperation between the United States and China is of utmost importance for the maintenance of a peaceful relationship between the two great powers.
Lord called for the United States not to "demonize or sanitize China," but instead to foster a spirit of cooperation and amicable relations, one in which hostile conflict or competition is not seen as the logical end. The benefits of cooperation exist in every aspect of the U.S.-China relationship. Given the domestic situations of both countries, however, there needs to be work within both the United States and China in order to achieve this lofty goal. As Dartmouth students, we enjoy the ability to travel abroad to various countries to experience firsthand the cultures and histories of those places. Students travel to Buenos Aires, London, Beijing and numerous other locales. These opportunities for cultural exchanges, however, fall short of what is necessary to expose a larger portion of the student body to the culture and history of these countries, and this is especially the case for Dartmouth's Foreign Study Program. Dartmouth has a very successful Chinese language department, boasting dedicated professors and an excellent curriculum. Yet its study abroad program lacks broad accessibility. Every year, Dartmouth sends about 50 students over the course of Summer and Fall terms to Beijing to study Chinese. The Beijing FSP is a great opportunity for students to go abroad and experience the interesting and unique Chinese culture. But the current program is limited in the sense that it is only accessible to those students who can find space in their Dartmouth schedules for multiple courses in the Chinese language.
There are currently no programs in China that focus on subjects beyond language, whereas many programs in Europe are primarily non-language based. For example, Dartmouth offers various programs to Italy, only some of which actually require proficiency in Italian. For example, whereas the art history FSP to Rome only requires students to take Italian 1 as a prerequisite, there are no similar non-language FSPs to China that require only Chinese 1. Given the importance of the U.S.-Chinese relationship and China's growing influence in the both the political and business realm, it is critical for the College to expand the scope of the its study abroad programs in China so that more students can gain a general understanding of this major world power.
Granted, developing a deep understanding of Chinese culture requires knowledge of the Chinese language. Also, unlike some European countries where many locals know English, getting by in some parts of China for three months without knowing the native language can be difficult. However, learning Chinese is a heavily intensive effort, and attaining fluency may take years of study. There may only be a small number of students who wish to pursue such an undertaking. But there are great benefits to exposing more students to Chinese culture, including those who have not focused on studying the language but are still interested in aspects of the country's culture, history and politics.
There are many places in China, specifically Hong Kong, where English is widespread, where students could study Chinese culture and history through hands-on experiences and travel within the country without the same language requirements of the existing FSP program. The College should supplement its existing study abroad programs with new programs in which students who haven't yet attained Chinese language proficiency could participate, thereby increasing the opportunities for students to gain exposure to this ever more relevant country.
Whether greater cultural understanding follows or precedes greater international relationships, it is most likely a chicken and egg situation. Nonetheless, the oft used cliche that we are the next generation's leaders is relevant in this situation. We need to encourage and expand our understanding of the Asia-Pacific region if we are to promote the level of cooperation that would produce beneficial results.
