on june 17, 2024, a delegation of students from the university of montana visited tsinghua university and had dinner with students from tsinghua university student association of china-u.s. people-to-people exchange and schwarzman scholars at the international culture xspace, the ground level of new tsinghua xuetang. xiao qian, deputy director of the center for international security and strategy (ciss) of tsinghua university, delivered a speech first, introducing the efforts of tsinghua students in china-us people-to-people exchange and welcoming the montana student delegation. james andrew person, executive director of the max s. baucus institute, expressed his joy and gratitude for leading the delegation to tsinghua university and looked forward to future opportunities to interact with students in china. a representative of the montana student delegation thanked the hospitality of tsinghua university and expressed their pleasure in having the opportunity to engage with their chinese peers.
afterward, the montana delegation had dinner with tsinghua students and faculty. during the meal, the students discussed their interests as well as the similarities and differences in education between china and the us.
towards the end of the event, xiao qian introduced the history of tsinghua university, the current development of various disciplines, and the construction of an international campus. fu yirao, president of the tsinghua university student association of china-u.s. people-to-people exchange, moderated the event and introduced the association’s initial purpose, activities, and achievements since its establishment in late december of the previous year. she also extended an invitation to join the association, encouraging contributions of ideas for future activities and fostering a platform for student exchange between china and the us.
after dinner, students exchanged gifts, took photos, and shared contact information with each other. everyone expected and believed that there would be more opportunities to meet and communicate with each other in the future, with the hope that their friendship could transcend the barriers of time and space.