Twelve Griffith University students traveled to Beijing in October 2019 for the Asia Future Fellows program – a Griffith and Peking University annual global exchange initiative designed exclusively for undergraduate students where a select group of Griffith University and Peking University students come together for two, intensive one-week programs held in Brisbane and Beijing.

The Beijing program ran from 20-27 October, comprising of professional, industry, government and cultural activities. The students started the week by presenting papers they wrote collaboratively with Peking University students during the year. They were also able to visit the Australian Embassy in Beijing and meet with Australians studying and working in China to better understand their experiences and the opportunities available.

They also had the chance to visit significant cultural and historical sites in Beijing, including the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, Hutongs, 798 Art District and the Great Wall of China. The trip also included a visit to Bethel China, a not-for-profit organisation that provides foster care, training, and therapy for Chinese orphans who are blind or visually impaired. Prior to visiting Beijing, the students fundraised for Bethel China and were able to learn more about the organisation and spend time with the children during the trip.

It was an intensive week of culturally informed learnings and the program has created many opportunities for building ongoing connections to strengthen the Australia-China relationship.

Read more about the 2019 Beijing trip from 2019 Asia Future Fellow D’Arcy Smith here.