engagement and understanding between these midand high-level officials representing both China and the U.S.,” Carter says. For his part, every trip to China — he has been there 11 times — is an opportunity to learn something new about the country and bring that knowledge back to his students. “I was curious to see how the Chinese would present their country to these people who have influence over U.S. policy,” he says. “Surprisingly, they didn’t appear to have a clear message to deliver to their visitors, other than the obvious – that China is open for business. The congressional staffers were really left to draw their own conclusions about what they had experienced.” While he is uncertain of the cause of China’s
missed opportunity on this trip, Carter says it’s clear that SJU students are learning that whether or not Americans are aware of it, China influences every aspect of their lives. “Our international relations and Asian studies majors are taking advantage of an opportunity to study the history, languages and cultures of the world’s most important economies — not only China’s, but also Russia’s, India’s and Japan’s,” Carter says. “And it is crucial that they do so. With these advancing economies that are new world powers, they shouldn’t have the expectation that the U.S. will be the only world power. The more our students know about this dynamic change, the more likely they will be to succeed in this new global environment.”
“A Hundred Years of China,” from the IISH/Stefan R. Landsberger Collections.
spring 2012 | intellect 3