BXAI

Last Tuesday, Bai Xian Asia Institute (Japan) Inc. (BXAIJ) ushered in the new decade at their annual New Year’s party in Tokyo that saw over 80 guests in attendance, including Bai Xian friends, alumni, scholars, and representatives from our six Japanese Partner Universities. Distinguished guests Mr. Yoshihiro Watanabe, President of BXAIJ; Mr. Satonobu Matsunaga, Leader of the International Strategy Team at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Mr. Tatsukuni Uchida, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Zhang Yaqiang, Councilor of the Chinese Embassy in Japan, and Prof. Katsuichi Uchida, President of BXAI, each took to the stage to give welcome remarks as well as their personal perspectives and outlooks on the coming year, while our CEO, Ms. Ronna Chao, delivered a New Year’s message via video, where she encouraged scholars and alumni to continue building community with one another.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and a special thank you goes to BXAIJ for being such a great host. Warm wishes to everyone for a rewarding year ahead!

Our last BX gathering of 2019 was held in Beijing last Saturday. Scholars and alumni had a great time catching up with one another, and also had the opportunity to hear from three students who were selected to speak during our career panel session. Sharing practical tips on job hunting, interviewing, and navigating workplace culture, each panelist offered helpful and interesting insights into the job search process and finding your place as a fresh graduate.

A heartfelt thank you to our moderator and panelists for your support, and to Mr. Ueda Kenji and Ms. Seo Mariko from BXAIJ for joining us. We hope everyone learned something new and enjoyed connecting with the Bai Xian community. Until next year!

Last Sunday, the newly minted steering committee of the BXAI Alumni Association’s Tokyo Chapter hosted their very first event of the academic year with a hike up Takaosan, a scenic mountain near Central Tokyo. Tokyo-based scholars and alumni had a great time catching up with one another while soaking in the breathtaking views of the mountain’s famous autumn foliage.

We had a great time with our scholars and alumni last weekend in Hangzhou and Shanghai! Catching up with them over dinner at each city, we were captivated by wonderful study abroad and Summer Program stories, and enjoyed learning about the different cultures represented. Thank you to everyone who joined us – we hope you had a good time and look forward to seeing you again soon!

We had a blast in Japan this past weekend at our two BX gatherings held in Kyoto and Tokyo. In Kyoto, we welcomed scholars from our new cohort and caught up with alums over fun icebreaker games and dinner at a local restaurant. In Tokyo, we organized a career panel session featuring four of our Tokyo-based alumni, who shared openly about their AFLSP memories, working experiences, the workplace culture in Japan, and challenges they have faced.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us at our gatherings – we hope you enjoyed them as much as we did! Special thanks goes to Dr. Zhao Liang from Kyoto University and BXAI president, Prof. Katsuichi Uchida, for joining us at our Kyoto and Tokyo events respectively; as well as Mr. Kenji Ueda and Ms. Mariko Seo from BXAIJ for making the Tokyo gathering possible. Can’t wait to see all of you again soon!

Over the past few weeks, some of our alumni hosted BX gatherings in Beijing, Shanghai, and Kyushu to welcome our newest cohort of scholars. Sharing about study abroad stories and personal experiences over delicious local meals, our scholars and alumni became fast friends as they connected over their different backgrounds, passions, and dreams. What a great way to kick-start the new academic year!