Program Overview
Youth worldwide is facing many complex global challenges; hence future leaders must take on a global perspective in order to adequately understand local, global, and cross-cultural issues. As the world's two most important nations, the United States and China have the responsibility to promote world peace and shared prosperity. It is crucial for future American leaders to gain a better understanding of China.
In summer 2026, in collaboration with partner universities in the U.S., Peking University will launch the “Academic Explorers in China” program as a part of the “China Deep Dive: Global Young Leaders Program.” Selected students will attend lectures on the Peking University campus and go on guided trips in and outside Beijing. Students from PKU will also participate to better facilitate a deeper understanding of each other, their respective cultures and values, and their home countries, and to begin lifelong friendships that will stay with them as they grow into leadership roles in the near future.
Two routes outsides Beijing are carefully planned, each showcasing the beauty, development and reality of China, each lasting around one week.
Program Details
The program combines both classroom and field studies, with lectures by Peking University professors and being held at Peking University, followed by trips in and outside Beijing.
Exciting Moments
Reflections and Takeaways
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PALLOTTA,ALLIE FUZHI
——Cornnel University
I really liked the lecture at the Longi green energy development center because solar energy is such a relevant topic right now. It was really interesting to see what China is doing with green energy, especially through such a large industrializing nation because in America, our economy is so fossil fuel based, so a lot of companies are still clinging to using petroleum and fossil fuels. And green energy talks didn't really pick up until fairly recently when our president rolled out some initiatives to promote more solar energy and unlike more electric vehicles, so there's definitely a lot more renewable energy development right now on. In the future, it'll be really interesting to see how, China and the U.S. can collaborate with energy development because China clearly has a lot of that technology and they're rolling it out really quickly, and I feel the U.S. has a lot to learn.
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ANDERSON JR,DAVID MICHAEL
——Harvard University
I really enjoy the pace of life in Szechuan; it is much slower than that of eastern China. The food in Szechuan is delectable and I found the local people themselves to be rather friendly. The lecture that we had before traveling to Chengdu from Xi'An was a good primer on the history of the regional differences that exist in present-day China. The food that was presented at the reception was carefully selected and I enjoyed hearing the speeches, also. The tea cooperative is a very impressive operation. I appreciated the in-depth explanation about how it works. It was clear to me that they spent a great deal of time preparing for the arrival of our delegation. Overall, I am pleased to have had the opportunity to visit Chengdu with the aid and support of Peking University.