Seeing is Believeing
By Shana Basnight
October 21, 2016
Yesterday we had the incredible opportunity to visit Hanban, as well as complete the Closing Ceremony for our program. Hanban is a public institution that is connected to the Chinese Ministry of Education and the funding agency that generously sponsored our trip to Beijing and Shanghai. It provides Chinese language, cultural teaching resources, and services around the world.
When we first arrived we received a brief tour of the Hanban Musuem. Half of the Hanban Museum is dedicated to showcasing Chinese culture and the other half of the Hanban building demonstrates Hanban’s global education work. As an introduction to Chinese culture, Sarah and I were able to try on traditional Chinese costumes. We were able to learn about different Chinese instruments as well about Chinese traditions and customs. The global education side of the museum documented the progress that Hanban has made with educating future Chinese leaders all over the world.
After we finished visiting Hanban, we had the opportunity to participate in a closing ceremony with several of their distinguished administration, including Baojun Zhang, Lixia Chen, Yuzheng Lu, and Xin Tian. We used this time to share our insights and reflections about our experience in China. Some of the key takeaways from the group presentations were that China is innovative and is making tremendous strides in technology and entrepreneurship.
China is intentional in its efforts with regards to urban planning, such as working to double the size of the subway system over the next few years, and taking input from the public concerning future changes. We were blown away by the various company visits, the incredible hospitality, and the inclusive and collaborative environment we experienced. We have a shared sentiment of incredible gratitude for the many lifelong memories we created during our trip to China. We will cherish this experience for years to come.
We hope that other Young Leaders will be able to have a similar experience as we believe this trip has provided us with tremendous professional and personal growth.
Check out the YLFPChina webpage for more:
Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters
孔子学院总部/国家汉办
Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, as a public institution affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, is committed to providing Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services worldwide. The Institute aims to meet the demands of foreign Chinese learners, contribute to the development of multiculturalism, and build a harmonious world.
As China’s economy grows, there has been a sharp increase in the world’s demands for Chinese language and culture learning. Benefiting from the UK, France, Germany and Spain’s experience in promoting their national languages, China began its own exploration in 2004. The non-profit public institution aims to promote Chinese language and culture in foreign countries. In 2015, there were 500 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classroom established in the world’s 134 countries, of which, 110 are located in Asia, 46 in Africa, 169 in Europe, 157 in the Americas, and 18 in Oceania.
Stay tuned for more! The Badaling Section of the Great Wall of China is up next!
Shana Basnight is an experienced HR professional with progressive experience working in various recruiting and program management roles at Fortune 500 companies such as The Coca-Cola Company and Acuity Brands and within higher education at Emory University. She is knowledgeable about best practices within the University Recruiting space and possesses experience developing impactful summer internship and leadership programs. She received her Bachelor degree from Emory University and her Master degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. She resides in a suburb of Atlanta, GA and is a member of the Young Leaders of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, serves as an Alliance Theatre Advisory Board Member, and was recently selected as the Mentorship Chair for the Atlanta chapter of New Leaders Council.
Twitter: @ShanaSays
Instagram: @theatlconnector
YLFPChina Web
http://international.gsu.edu/ylfpchina
Homma Rafi | YLFPChina Media Contact
Office of International Initiatives, Georgia State University
hrafi1@gsu.edu
Paulina Guzman | YLFPChina Co-Director
World Affairs Council of Atlanta
pguzman1@gsu.edu
Kimberly Griffin | YLFPChina Co-Director
Confucius Institute, Georgia State University
kgriffin25@gsu.edu