Gaby CHAN
Gaby CHAN is a Singaporean Bai Xian Scholar currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in public administration at Zhejiang University. Her study abroad experience has shown her the value of cross-cultural bonds and has taught her that looking beyond differences is the first step to effecting change in the world.
Hungry for perspective and adventure, Gaby began her studies at Zhejiang University with the hope of acquiring a more global and macroscopic view of public security and policy, an area she had been working in for five years. Little did she know that one of her biggest takeaways would be personally experiencing the power of friendship to bridge people from vastly different backgrounds.
“My time at Zhejiang University has allowed me to see friendship, something we often take for granted, from a new point of view,” says Gaby, who goes on to recall one small but significant event. “We were celebrating the birthday of a South Korean classmate one day at the dorm, and a North Korean student happened to walk by. After wishing our friend a happy birthday, he left, but later extended a small gift to our friend through a mutual acquaintance. The gift was a notebook, which was inscribed with that day’s date. We later realized that our friend’s birthday coincided with the day that the North and South Korean leaders met and shook hands on the demilitarized zone. I was struck not by the gift, nor the political significance of the day, but by this student’s bold gesture of good will towards an otherwise unlikely ally.”
Reflecting back on the occasion, Gaby realized that boundaries and cultural norms often can, but should not, work to separate people. “While we cannot choose where we come from, we can choose between friendship and alienation, and shape the kind of world we want to live in,” says Gaby. “We can effect change in our world – one friendship at a time.”
After graduation, Gaby plans to continue her work in public security. She looks forward to applying the knowledge and experiences she has garnered from her time abroad to further her long-term career goals, and hopes to eventually pursue her research interests in social resilience and non-traditional security.
LI Kuanghan
Li Kuanghan, director of the China Heritage Program at the Global Heritage Fund, shares about how she transitioned into heritage preservation midway through her architecture career. As the field requires the support of people with a wide range of skills, she encourages students interested in conservation to get involved early on to explore how they may contribute their own skills to this important cause.
Koinobori Festival
Last Monday, members of the Kyoto Chapter of the BXAI Alumni Association journeyed to nearby Takatsuki City to participate in the Koinobori Festa 1000, a traditional Japanese festival that celebrates Children’s Day by hanging over 1000 carp-shaped windsocks in the sky. Our Kyoto scholars immersed themselves in the rich local culture as they enjoyed performances and Japanese snacks at the festival, while also taking the opportunity to explore the city afterwards by visiting Takatsuki Castle Ruins Park and the Municipal History Museum. “By taking part in local events, foreign students are able to gain a deeper understanding of Japanese history, culture, and community,” says AFLSP Scholar, Pan Weikang.
Building Bridges Across Food Cultures
Last Saturday, the Beijing Chapter of our BXAI Alumni Association organized a fun cooking party at the Tsinghua University Asian Youth Center. It was a delectable journey for the taste buds as scholars prepared and sampled a variety of traditional Asian dishes from different countries while enjoying fellowship with one another.
TSURU Miyuki
Looking back at her BXAI Summer Program experience, Miyuki Tsuru, a Japanese Bai Xian Scholar studying at Peking University, recalls how a speaker at the AIA Entrepreneurship Workshop inspired her to approach her career plans from a refreshingly new perspective.
Ohanami in Kyoto
The Kyoto Chapter of our BXAI Alumni Association gathered at Heian Shrine last Wednesday to celebrate the beginning of spring and the arrival of Kyoto’s much-anticipated cherry blossom season.
Catching Up with Scholars and Alumni in Beijing
We had a great time connecting with some of our AFLSP Scholars last weekend at the Yenching Global Symposium, a three-day academic conference hosted by the Yenching Academy of Peking University (YCA) and fully funded by Bai Xian Foundation. Outside the conference, we also had the chance to catch up with other Beijing-based scholars and alumni, many of whom shared about their study abroad experiences and efforts to build bridges across cultures both within and beyond the Bai Xian community.
Our thanks to YCA for hosting us, and a special thanks goes to Ms. Angela Cheung of our Communication and Development Committee, who helped capture the interviews with our scholars and alumni on camera. Watch this space for more videos coming soon!
Spring in Bloom
Last Sunday, the Tokyo Chapter of our newly launched BXAI Alumni Association welcomed the spring season by taking part in ohanami, the traditional Japanese custom of cherry blossom viewing. Tokyo-based scholars and alumni, along with their family and friends, gathered at Yogogi Park for a fun and relaxing picnic under the beautiful cherry blossoms. Stay tuned for more alumni events coming up in your area soon!
BXcited for the Newly Launched BXAI Alumni Association!
We are pleased to announce the launch of the BXAI Alumni Association! Comprising four city-based alumni chapters in Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, and Kyoto, the BXAI Alumni Association aims to further the mission and vision of BXAI by building a close-knit community across Asia.
Check out our website for upcoming alumni events here: https://www.bxai.org/alumni-association/