The 2023-2024 Samuel “Sandy” R. Berger Memorial Fellowship Awards Ceremony was Held Online.

On January 31, the 2023-2024 Samuel “Sandy” R. Berger Memorial Fellowship Awards Ceremony was held online. Amb. Julia Chang Bloch (President of the US-China Education Trust 中美教育基金) and Prof. Jia Qingguo (Director of iGCU; Professor of the School of International Studies at Peking University) delivered the opening remarks.

In her remarks, Amb. Julia Chang Bloch noted that as China and the U.S. need experts to steward the most crucial bilateral ties in the 21st century, fellowships like the Sandy Berger Awards are more vital than ever. “USCET is proud to be linked with this fellowship,” said Amb. Julia Chang Bloch.

In Prof. Jia's remarks, he indicated that despite positive strides in China-U.S. relations, persistent structural challenges remain. Encouraging mutual communication and learning among young people from both countries is vital, as it would enable mutual understanding and create conditions for win-win cooperation between both countries. Prof. Jia commended the Fellowship for opening up channels for dialogues and contributing to the advancement of China-U.S.relations.

Dr. Robert Kapp (former President of The US-China Business Council; Senior Advisor to USCET) announced the 2023-2024 Fellowship Awards and praised the four Berger fellows for contributing to deepening the understanding of China-U.S. relations from different perspectives.

Four Berger fellows (2023 & 2024) presented their research projects, respectively. Prof. Wang Dong (Executive Director of iGCU; Professor of the School of International Studies at Peking University) applauded the Berger Fellows for their efforts and provided feedback on each proposal. Prof. Wang Dong stressed the ongoing challenges facing the currentChina-U.S. relations. He urged everyone to collaborate and play their part in steering the bilateral ties towards a positive path, contributing to a brighter future for #ChinaUSrelations.

By the end of the award ceremony, Mrs. Susan Berger (Wife of the late Samuel R. “Sandy” Berger) expressed her contentment with the Fellows’ work, noting her delight that the Fellowship provided important support for their research.

To read more about the event, please visit: https://uscet.org/2023-2024-samuel-sandy-r-berger....../