American China Diversity Initiative

This is an excellent article expressing the need for greater diversity of Americans to explore China and learn Mandarin!

The college admissions process is quite unlike any other that a young person will experience in the course of their lives. Now imagine enduring that process in the hopes of gaining admission to a university thousands of miles from the life you know at home. Sound difficult? For the thousands of Chinese students who apply for admission to American universities every year, the process can be, in a word, stressful. The New York Times sat down with Stanford University economist Scott Rozelle to take a critical look at China's higher education challenges and the way some students are dealing with them.

Taking a look at the parallels and divergences between Chinese and American education, the NY Times delves into one study that says critical thinking skills stop improving after high school. The reasons they came up with may surprise you.

At a time when controversial political sound bites dominate news headlines, the matter of China-U.S. relations still remains an important topic of political debate. The Huffington Post explores the nature of that relationship and offers some insight on how to keep it in good standing in light of the upcoming G20 Summit, which will be held in Hangzhou, China next month. Click the link below for more.

Read how one high school class in Springfield, OH was inspired to organize a class trip to China for their students. One hint: it started with a Skype call.

The New York Times examines China's strict policies for punishing cheaters of the country's most important educational exam, the gao1kao3). Some critics say that the new punishments are too harsh on offenders, claiming that the adverse effects of the punishment far outweigh the crime. Others find some usefulness in raising the stakes for potential cheaters by discouraging dishonest behavior. What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

As China attempts to counter the negative social effects of the gao1kao3) and to equalize higher educational opportunity between its urban and rural regions, some urban students are getting left behind. Could this present an opportunity in which foreign universities could benefit?

In case you've forgotten our #mission: The Mission of American China Diversity Initiative is to increase minority and underserved student populations learning Mandarin in American public institutions and provide opportunities for these groups to develop an interest in China, study in China as well as develop USA-China related careers.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Ralph Waldo Emerson

For those of you considering studying or even relocating your residence to or within China, you may find this list interesting: here are 10 of the top 40 places in China you may want to consider. Take a look.

How far would you go to get an education? The children of Atular Village in Sichuan province risk their lives for their education twice per month by climbing a centennial rattan ladder in order to scale an 800-meter cliff. #crazyfacts

Despite the grim outlook of some Chinese natives, education entrepreneurs see opportunity for China's education system through technology and innovation: At the ASU-GSV Summit, which is the largest global conference on educational science and technology in the world, educational entrepreneurs and startups of all kinds gathered in San Diego, CA to discuss the burgeoning trends and innovations in China's educational system.