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OPINION: Decline in U.S.-China student exchange is troubling
The relationship between the United States and China is the most consequential bilateral relationship in the world, and it is growing increasingly contentious. It will take a lot of knowledge and understanding — on both sides — to manage it without slipping into a new Cold War. That’s why it’s especially worrisome to see reports of […]
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The relationship between the United States and China is the most consequential bilateral relationship in the world, and it is growing increasingly contentious. It will take a lot of knowledge and understanding — on both sides — to manage it without slipping into a new Cold War.
That’s why it’s especially worrisome to see reports of sharp declines in the number of Chinese college students studying in the U.S. and the number of Americans studying in and learning about China.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a big factor in this trend; it disrupted travel and fueled worries about China’s trustworthiness. Also, China under Xi Jinping has been increasingly repressive to its citizens and hostile to its neighbors. It has become less a country that intellectually curious young people want to visit. Many Americans have grown more suspicious of China.
But that’s all the more reason for engaging with China, through diplomacy, people-to-people meetings, and, especially, the exchange of knowledge and experience by college students. The future of U.S.–China relations will depend on a rising generation that can speak to each other and work out differences.
I’m a strong supporter of student exchanges, as well as foreign-language studies. I think they’re terribly important. They need to be expanded, not curtailed.
Working on a university campus, I see the vibrancy and diversity that international students, many of them from China, contribute. I have also been impressed that Americans who have lived abroad, whether for work or to study, seem to come home with a much more tolerant attitude toward other countries and their governments.
When I was a college student, studying overseas wasn’t something that many people did. But, after graduation, I had an opportunity to spend time in Europe. I had never been abroad; I don’t think anyone in my family had been abroad. It proved to be an enlightening experience. I support overseas study and travel because I know what it did in my life and in the lives of others I know.
It was gratifying to see a virtual explosion in the number of American students studying abroad in recent decades. In the 1990s, the number more than tripled, according to the Institute for International Education. Then it plummeted with the pandemic. The number of international students in the U.S. saw a similar trajectory: It peaked before the pandemic, then declined.
When Barack Obama took office, many Americans were optimistic about our relationship with China. Obama launched the “100,000 Strong” program, aimed at growing the number of Americans studying in China and the instruction in Chinese languages at U.S. schools.
At the same time, the number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. increased, topping 300,000 for several years. But a combination of factors — including Chinese parents’ worries about anti-Asian bias in the U.S., and the rise of competitive universities in other countries — halted the trend. China still produces about 30 percent of international students in the United States, more than any other country, but the number has declined. Meanwhile, fewer U.S. students are studying in China or learning Mandarin and other Chinese languages.
There are reasons for Americans to be cautious about how we engage with Xi’s China, including concerns about espionage and intellectual-property theft. There’s also a long tradition in the U.S. of using China as a whipping boy. Standing up to China is one of the few themes that unite Republicans and Democrats.
But so much depends on the relationship between China and the U.S., not just for the two countries but also for the entire world. Anything that impacts that relationship adversely will have wide-ranging consequences. We need to learn about China, and the Chinese people need to learn about us.
Lee Hamilton, 91, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.
Tipping Point Communications recently added LAURA CAHILL, of Syracuse, to its public-relations team as a senior account supervisor. Cahill brings an extensive background and experience in content and influencer marketing, in addition to more than 20 years as a public-relations practitioner and strategist. Tipping Point Communications is a New York State-certified women-owned agency with offices
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Tipping Point Communications recently added LAURA CAHILL, of Syracuse, to its public-relations team as a senior account supervisor. Cahill brings an extensive background and experience in content and influencer marketing, in addition to more than 20 years as a public-relations practitioner and strategist. Tipping Point Communications is a New York State-certified women-owned agency with offices in Rochester and Buffalo and employees across the country. The firm says the hiring of Cahill will give it “an even more powerful presence in Central New York.”

ABC Creative recently added HANNA KRIZMAN as an account manager. Krizman has a wealth of experience she brings to ABC with past titles that include brand strategist, senior account executive, and account supervisor. She’s well-schooled in the marketing field, having worked on the strategy side of things in digital marketing for much of her career
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ABC Creative recently added HANNA KRIZMAN as an account manager. Krizman has a wealth of experience she brings to ABC with past titles that include brand strategist, senior account executive, and account supervisor. She’s well-schooled in the marketing field, having worked on the strategy side of things in digital marketing for much of her career with clients like Proctor & Gamble. At ABC, she’ll be working with the director of account service to keep projects for all clients on track. Krizman is a graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, where she majored in English and minored in business marketing.

Keystone Associates Architects, Engineers and Surveyors, LLC recently promoted JAMIE BERKELEY-HARTJEN to architect, after she passed the architect registration examination. She has eight years of experience and provides project management and design for educational, municipal, commercial, and nonprofit projects. Berkeley-Hartjen holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural studies and a minor in history from Norwich University
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Keystone Associates Architects, Engineers and Surveyors, LLC recently promoted JAMIE BERKELEY-HARTJEN to architect, after she passed the architect registration examination. She has eight years of experience and provides project management and design for educational, municipal, commercial, and nonprofit projects. Berkeley-Hartjen holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural studies and a minor in history from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.

COLLEEN PROSSNER has joined Nascentia Health as director of philanthropy. She supports development of the Nascentia Health Charitable Foundation, which is the organization’s charitable arm. The foundation provides direct support to needy patients and their families through donation of items that improve their health, safety, and self-sufficiency. Prossner will also manage the capital campaign for
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COLLEEN PROSSNER has joined Nascentia Health as director of philanthropy. She supports development of the Nascentia Health Charitable Foundation, which is the organization’s charitable arm. The foundation provides direct support to needy patients and their families through donation of items that improve their health, safety, and self-sufficiency. Prossner will also manage the capital campaign for Nascentia Neighborhood, the organization’s redevelopment of the Beeches property in Rome. She works with community organizations, Nascentia patients, and donors to build the resources of Nascentia Health’s charitable endeavors. By cultivating relationships within the community, she strengthens the organization’s ability to serve the most vulnerable populations, raising funds to address their needs, and to better serve their quality of life. Prossner previously worked at Cazenovia College as the executive director of the Catherine Cummings Theatre and is active in the local music and performing-arts scene. She serves on the boards of directors for St. Joseph’s Health Auxiliary, CNYArts, and CazArts. Prossner is a graduate of Niagara University. Nascentia Health is one of Central New York’s largest home health-care agencies, offering in-home skilled nursing and therapies and home health aides.

Wesley Clark and Peshkin, a divorce and family law firm, has recently added an experienced partner to lead its Syracuse office. LISA DIPOALA HABER focuses her practice on representing clients in divorce actions and also serving clients in family court custody and child-support matters, as well as appeals. She has decades of litigation experience. Prior
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Wesley Clark and Peshkin, a divorce and family law firm, has recently added an experienced partner to lead its Syracuse office. LISA DIPOALA HABER focuses her practice on representing clients in divorce actions and also serving clients in family court custody and child-support matters, as well as appeals. She has decades of litigation experience. Prior to starting her own divorce and family law firm in 2014, DiPoala Haber worked with businesses and individuals in complex commercial disputes. She tackles complicated cases, including those involving novel and difficult issues, as well as high-asset divorces. Wesley Clark & Peshkin’s Central New York office is in the State Tower building at 109 South Warren St. in downtown Syracuse.

WILL HICKS has recently rejoined the Syracuse University football staff. The longtime strength and conditioning coach, who spent the past five years as a member of the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund, will serve as the football program’s director of player engagement. In this role, Hicks will create engagement programs for student-athletes off the field, specifically with
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WILL HICKS has recently rejoined the Syracuse University football staff. The longtime strength and conditioning coach, who spent the past five years as a member of the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund, will serve as the football program’s director of player engagement. In this role, Hicks will create engagement programs for student-athletes off the field, specifically with Syracuse community members and alumni. He will provide current student-athletes with networking opportunities and work with alumni and community members to identify name, image, and likeliness (NIL) opportunities for athletes. Despite moving to the football staff, Hicks will continue to work alongside the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund, where he plays an important role in engaging football alumni and serve as a point of contact to steward football donors. Hicks was most recently the director of development for the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund. Before that, he was the executive director of the Varsity Club & athletic alumni engagement, where he provided leadership for the Varsity Club, managed relationships with all current and former Syracuse NFL players, and served as a staff liaison to all other associated athletic clubs and organizations. Prior to his tenure in development, Hicks spent 16 seasons leading the Syracuse football strength and conditioning program from 2000-15 and was an assistant athletic director for athletic performance from 2016-18, leading strength and conditioning programs for Olympic sports. Prior to his time at Syracuse, Hicks spent more than a decade on the strength and conditioning staff at N.C. State, including 1996-2000 when he served as the Wolfpack’s assistant athletics director for football operations and head strength and conditioning coach.

Visions FCU opens new, revamped branch in Tioga County
NEWARK VALLEY, N.Y. — Visions Federal Credit Union (FCU) announced the opening of its newly rebuilt branch office in Newark Valley in Tioga County. The

Boilermaker Walk gets new name and sponsor
UTICA, N.Y. — The companion walk to the Boilermaker 15K Road Race has a new sponsor and a new name. The event — set for

People news: Oswego Health adds Halko as physician assistant
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Health announced it has hired Johna Halko as a new physician assistant at its Center for Gastroenterology & Metabolic Diseases. Halko
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