Finding the Ties That Bind Through Educational Exchange.docVIP

Finding the Ties That Bind Through Educational Exchange 　　It was in November 1973 that I first became involved with educational exchange between China and the US. At the time I was a staff member of the Science and Education Team of the State Council. It was my duty to meet the American Delegation on Early Childhood Education at the Guangzhou Railway Station after they arrived in China. They were the first such delegation on education to come following President Nixon’s groundbreaking visit to the country. 　　As liaison, I spent the next half a month with the 13 professors, forming friendship with them all. When they left from that same station, I hugged each of them as we shedtears and said goodbye. William Kessen, the leader of the group, handed me an envelope containing 13 cards. Those were not cards, but 13 sincere hearts that I still treasure to this day. Later I was excited to receive several copies of the book Childhood in China, which the professors had written back home. Signatures of thanks adorned the inside front cover. Everyone was looking forward to normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 　　Six years later, an official diplomatic relationship was finally established. And I had an opportunity to take part in the first visit the Minister of Education of the PRC paid to the U.S. After the trip, I was put in charge of the government-sponsored study-abroad project ?C working directlyfor the educational exchange. I witnessed the starting phase of the project and the U.S. Embassy, I have to say, was a great help ?C providing useful information that made the work processes much more fluid. 　　My understanding of the American tertiary education system was deepened during this period, as I visited almost every renowned university in the U.S. over a four year period. In 1981, by invitation of the U.S. Agency for International Exchange (now the U.S. Information Agency), I attended a symposium on American education held in the Philipp