"Going to the West now, I know very well the strategy of China's self-improvement, and I have nothing else to ask for. Carrying the future of the country, taking all the science of foreigners. Going to the 70,000-mile long distance, leaving the country of the motherland and parents, I have no regrets."
In 1870, Liu Buchan, an admiral of the Beiyang Navy, wrote this sentence, marking the century-old history of studying abroad in China before he went to study in the UK.
On 26th December 1978, Deng Xiaoping personally selected 52 outstanding students and sent them to the United States. They became the first batch of overseas students after the founding of New China, and planted the seeds for the rise of China after the reform and opening up.
On 20th July 2018, Providence Academy was formally established in the commune at the foot of the Great Wall. The college now brings together 150 chairmen of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of overseas universitites and returnee entrepreneurs from five countries (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan), including Harvard University, Yale University, Oxford University, Princeton University, Cornell University, University of Toronto, Monash University, Waseda, etc.
On 27th December 2018, 150 chairmen and young leaders of Overseas Students Federation gathered in Jinshanling in the north of Beijing on the special anniversary of the 40th anniversary of studying in New China. Accompanied by a welcome dinner, the second phase of Providence Academy officially opened.
The second phase of Providence Academy event lasted for four days. Many instructors were invited to share their insights and industry experience with the students, and discussed in depth the infinite possibilities of Chinese youth with the students, and also learned about China's present and future.
During the activities of the second phase of Providence Academy, Gao Yutong, Chairman of Providence Academy, Yang Fan, President of Providence Academy, Lu Hancheng, Dean of Academic Affairs, Sun Guohao, Executive Vice President, and Zhou Runzhi, Vice President of Alumni Affairs, introduced the academy's history, the reasons for its establishment, the school board system, the operating system, the online and offline course system, and the Providence Global Alumni Association system. At the same time, they also announced the "Study in China" plan and released the first edition of the "White Paper on Chinese Students Studying Abroad". The academy also invited Gu Jiaqi, chairman of the Shu Miao Public Welfare Council and from Yale University, to announce the "Huining Country Public Welfare Education Plan in Gansu Province".
In addition to conferences and public courses, and the trainees also visited many famous companies in Beijing. At the VIPKID headquarters, founder Mi Wenjun and several senior executives introduced the growth process of VIPKID, and also told the students that it is the team's pure and simple love for English education that can make VIPKID impress more students, teachers and parents, moving forward non-stop. Mi Wenjuan's speech refreshed the students' unerstanding of the education industry, and also gave unlimited inspiration in terms of company management and overseas students returning to China to create jobs.
In Vanke Beijing Center, Providence trainees listened to the introduction of Vanke by Liu Xiao, CEO of Vanke North District, and several senior executives of Vanke, also listened to the course given by Fu Chengyu, the former chairman of Sinopec and the instructor of the academy. Mr. Fu said, "only when we remember where our roots are, can we we take root in this land, lay a solid foundation for the future of ourselves and the motherland, and make a stable career with prospects and future." He believes that the students of Providence Academy will be able to exert their potential and create infinite value for the future society.
At Baidu headquarters, students from Providence Academy visited the artificial intelligence exhibition hall and had a test drive experience of unmanned vehicles. Through sharing with the chairman, Wang Lu, Vice President of Baidu, introduced Baidu's innovation and achievements in various fields. Against the backdrop of the AI era and big data, he expressed his support for the courageous exploration of international students in technology and emerging industries.
At Didi headquarters and Shangdong Digital Valley, the trainees experiened the technological future of China's most advanced smart city and smart transportation, and heard about the layout direction of Didi's international travel busienss. Shangdong Digitial Valley, where Didi's headquarters located, also expressed their welcome and expectation for talents returning from studying abroad, and will cooperate with Providence Academy to appeal for overseas students to return to China.
Another special part of the second phase of Providence Academy is the Providence Cup Debate Competition. Sai Xi, the first Chinese female debator of the Oxford Debating Society, opened the prelude to the debate with the story of herself and the debate. The students launched three wonderful debates on three debate topics, bringing the atmosphere of the event to a climax. Zhang Qiwen, captain of the Cornell University debate team, and Wang Yifan, chairman of the University of Western Australia Student Union, won the title of best debater respectively. At the end of the exhibition competition, Sai Na, the former captain of the debate team of the University of Melbourne, defined the meaning of the China Federation of Students with the meaning of gathering together is a ball of fire and scattering is full of stars, and the Providence Cup also came to a successful end. A series of wonderful confrontations, discussions and comments made the students re-understand these problems that every international student will face with a wonderful speculation.
Coinciding with the birthdays of Mr. Gu Ji, the dean of Zhenge College, and Wu Zekun, the chairman of the Student Union of Tulane University, the four-day Providence Academy finally came to an end with a celebration dinner for the students.
Finally, we also want to, once again, send our most sincere thanks to the three sponsors of Providence Academy in 2018: China Summer School Alliance, EZ Travel and DueApe. Thanks to their selfless dedication and joint efforts, making everything about Providence a reality.
Mr. Liang Qichao once said: "It is the responsibility of Chinese youth to create the young China of the future." Over the past century, countless Chinese youth have gone abroad, studied abroad, and returned to the motherland with what they have learned to contribute. They learned advanced technologies and concepts from abroad, brought them back to China, which was still backward at that time, and learned from each other's strengths to drive domestic development, creating a vibrant young China today.
At the end of 2018, Providence Academy also hopes to gather young international student leaders from all over the world, and hopes to join them in sending our call to the international student community. The waters are running wild, the fish are everywhere, and the world is so new that nothing has been named yet. In 2019, Providence Academy will continue to work with you to enter the world with swords.
