By Rebekah Kennel
Earlier this summer I participated in the 2018 graduate student delegation to China with the Georgetown Initiative for US-China Dialogueon Global Issues. The Initiative, at the direction of the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement, is a university platform for research, teaching, and high-level dialogue among American and Chinese leaders from the public sector, business, society and academia that addresses common challenges facing the global community.
The experience afforded me unique access to a variety of influential Chinese leaders in government, the private sector and educational institutions spanning across three cities in China: Beijing, Xiamen, and Shanghai. Our tour began in Beijing where we saw many of China’s major historical attractions such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Of our meetings in Beijing, I was most impressed by our interaction with the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission where we enjoyed a frank discussion of the current issues that are of concern to both the U.S. and China. We left with a better understanding of China’s defense policies and posture in the region and beyond.
After Beijing we traveled to Xiamen, a southern coastal city where we engaged in a roundtable discussion with faculty and students from Xiamen University’s Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies. We thenvisited GulangyuIsland and also had the opportunity to take a ferry a mile out from Kinmen Island where Taiwanese forces are posted today. It was a fascinating experience being so close to an island with a long and complicated history. A trip to Xiamen was not complete without the local seafood which we enjoyed greatly.
Our tour ended in Shanghai where we saw a modern China grappling with the pressures of urban planning. Yet the preserved charm of the Bund along the Huangpu River was a delight to look at from our riverboat cruise. We also had the opportunity to visit the Shanghai Institute for International Studies where we exchanged candid views with one of China’s top think tanks. I will take that experience along with the entire tour to inform my growing understanding of China. Georgetown has a steeped history with China through the Jesuit Institution and I am privileged to have been part of the latest iteration of that enduring connection between our university and the people of China.
Why did you choose this particular country/internship?
This program was of high interest to me as it aligns with my graduate study interests and professional shift to China. I came to SSP after three years of working in Burma on security sector reform for the EU and INGOs. Living in Southeast Asia for three years, I came to appreciate China’s relationship and influence within the region. I wished to better understand a rising China looking to redefine its place in the world, exploring the limits of the current international world order in the context of establishing a “new type of great power relations” in order to fulfil its “China Dream”. This program offered a great opportunity to exchange views with some of the top minds and leaders in China.
How does your internship sponsor or agency contribute to the mission of national security?
The Initiative is fulfilling an important role in citizen diplomacy whereby a channel of communication is maintained between the people of two different countries. Student delegations offer unique people-to-people interactions enabling issues to be understood from different perspectives and thereby reducing misunderstandings that may have significant consequences. As identified in our National Security Strategy, our relationship with China going forward will be of increasing significance to my generation.
How will this experience help you in your job search and career?
In terms of career objectives, I wish to focus on the Indo-Pacific region with a particular concentration on China. My understanding of China’s growing military, economic and diplomatic power, or as China would term it ‘national comprehensive power’, will be of great importance to analyze the geostrategic developments in the region. This experience coupled with my Chinese-focused coursework and language will help to establish myself in future positions.
The experience afforded me unique access to a variety of influential Chinese leaders in government, the private sector and educational institutions spanning across three cities in China: Beijing, Xiamen, and Shanghai. Our tour began in Beijing where we saw many of China’s major historical attractions such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Of our meetings in Beijing, I was most impressed by our interaction with the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission where we enjoyed a frank discussion of the current issues that are of concern to both the U.S. and China. We left with a better understanding of China’s defense policies and posture in the region and beyond.
After Beijing we traveled to Xiamen, a southern coastal city where we engaged in a roundtable discussion with faculty and students from Xiamen University’s Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies. We thenvisited GulangyuIsland and also had the opportunity to take a ferry a mile out from Kinmen Island where Taiwanese forces are posted today. It was a fascinating experience being so close to an island with a long and complicated history. A trip to Xiamen was not complete without the local seafood which we enjoyed greatly.
Our tour ended in Shanghai where we saw a modern China grappling with the pressures of urban planning. Yet the preserved charm of the Bund along the Huangpu River was a delight to look at from our riverboat cruise. We also had the opportunity to visit the Shanghai Institute for International Studies where we exchanged candid views with one of China’s top think tanks. I will take that experience along with the entire tour to inform my growing understanding of China. Georgetown has a steeped history with China through the Jesuit Institution and I am privileged to have been part of the latest iteration of that enduring connection between our university and the people of China.
Why did you choose this particular country/internship?
This program was of high interest to me as it aligns with my graduate study interests and professional shift to China. I came to SSP after three years of working in Burma on security sector reform for the EU and INGOs. Living in Southeast Asia for three years, I came to appreciate China’s relationship and influence within the region. I wished to better understand a rising China looking to redefine its place in the world, exploring the limits of the current international world order in the context of establishing a “new type of great power relations” in order to fulfil its “China Dream”. This program offered a great opportunity to exchange views with some of the top minds and leaders in China.
How does your internship sponsor or agency contribute to the mission of national security?
The Initiative is fulfilling an important role in citizen diplomacy whereby a channel of communication is maintained between the people of two different countries. Student delegations offer unique people-to-people interactions enabling issues to be understood from different perspectives and thereby reducing misunderstandings that may have significant consequences. As identified in our National Security Strategy, our relationship with China going forward will be of increasing significance to my generation.
How will this experience help you in your job search and career?
In terms of career objectives, I wish to focus on the Indo-Pacific region with a particular concentration on China. My understanding of China’s growing military, economic and diplomatic power, or as China would term it ‘national comprehensive power’, will be of great importance to analyze the geostrategic developments in the region. This experience coupled with my Chinese-focused coursework and language will help to establish myself in future positions.