One hundred seventy years ago, a young Chinese man named Yung Wing graduated from Yale College. He was the first Chinese student to earn a degree from a North American university.

Yung Wing would go on to donate a large part of his personal library to Yale, creating the foundation for the Yale East Asia Library’s Chinese collection. It is now one of the most extensive archives of its kind in the United States.

For nearly 200 years, Yale has served as a nexus for collaborations between U.S. and China, building and fostering educational and institutional partnerships.

It is in this historical context that Yale Center Beijing was established in 2014, at the heart of the Chinese capital. For the last decade, the Center has served as an intellectual hub for convening leaders for critical conversations, for furthering Yale University faculty collaborations, and for nurturing ties with alumni and friends in China and Asia.

On March 10, 2024, Yale Center Beijing celebrated its 10th anniversary in the presence of faculty, alumni, and partners. Kerwin Charles, Indra K. Nooyi Dean, and Fredric D. Wolfe, Professor of Economics, Policy and Management at the Yale School of Management, and Neil Shen, ’92 M.A., Chair of the Yale Center Beijing Advisory Committee and Executive Council, and Founding and Managing Partner of HongShan, delivered the opening remarks.

Kerwin Charles（lower right）, Indra K. Nooyi Dean, and Fredric D. Wolfe, Professor of Economics, Policy and Management at the Yale School of Management, and Neil Shen (upper left), ’92 M.A., Chair of the Yale Center Beijing Advisory Committee and Executive Council, and Founding and Managing Partner of HongShan, delivered the opening remarks.

As part of the celebration, Yale faculty held two thought-provoking panel discussions titled “U.S.-China Trade Relations” and “The World Order: Past and Present.”

Dean Kerwin Charles and Professor Peter Schott, Juan Trippe Professor of International Economics at the Yale School of Management, led the discussion on U.S.-China trade relations, highlighting the effects of China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization (WTO) on America’s manufacturing sector. As the U.S. holds its presidential election later this year, hot-button issues such as employment and foreign policy are taking center stage. With the advent of artificial intelligence, China’s aging population, and increasing labor costs, both countries are navigating uncertain times.

Kerwin Charles（lower left）, Indra K. Nooyi Dean, and Fredric D. Wolfe, Professor of Economics, Policy and Management at the Yale School of Management, and Professor Peter Schott (upper left), Juan Trippe Professor of International Economics at the Yale School of Management had a dialogue on "U.S.-China Trade Relations."

The second panel featured Jing Tsu, Jonathan D. Spence Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures and Comparative Literature, and Advisory Committee Member of Yale Center Beijing, and Odd Arne Westad, Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs. Chen Li, Vice Dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, also joined this discussion that was moderated by Edward Wittenstein, Lecturer in Global Affairs, and the Executive Director of International Security Studies at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Odd Arne Westad (upper left), Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University, Jing Tsu (upper right), Jonathan D. Spence Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures and Comparative Literature at Yale University, and Advisory Committee Member of Yale Center Beijing, and Chen Li (center right), Vice Dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, had a discussion that was moderated by Edward Wittenstein (lower left), Lecturer in Global Affairs, and the Executive Director of International Security Studies at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs.

The panelists noted the current turbulent relationship between the U.S. and China and how cultural perceptions of competition versus cooperation between the two nations play a role. They also highlighted how the rise of social media and artificial intelligence complicates international relations. As both the U.S. and China pursue national security and long-term ambitions, the speakers encouraged them to proceed with caution and deliberate on the long-term effects of their policies.

A delegation of students from the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs and Renmin University was also in attendance. Students from the two universities would go on to have a two-day dialogue, where they debated and exchanged ideas on a range of issues. During the panel discussions, speakers and participating audience members urged young people from both countries to continue learning about and from each other. 

Steven Wilkinson, Yale’s Vice Provost for Global Strategy, the Nilekani Professor of Political Science, and Director of the MacMillan Center, spoke at the dinner that followed the panel discussions. In his remarks, he reaffirmed Yale’s commitment to preparing future leaders for global citizenship and leadership. He said, “I look forward to seeing how the Center will continue to deepen Yale’s global connections and play an integral role in promoting a more inclusive, innovative, and understanding world in the next decade and beyond.”

Steven Wilkinson, Yale’s Vice Provost for Global Strategy, the Nilekani Professor of Political Science, and Director of the MacMillan Center, spoke at the dinner.

Carol Li Rafferty ’00, Yale Center Beijing’s Executive Director, believes that such platforms for dialogues are essential for the future of the U.S., China, and the world. She emphasized, “Since Yale Center Beijing’s founding in 2014, the Center has served as a forum among leaders from around the globe to discuss the most pressing issues facing our world. As humanity tackles the climate crisis, armed conflicts, and other challenges, Yale Center Beijing will continue to provide a meeting for vital communications and experience sharing.”

Sandy Wongwaiwate ’17, a 2017-2018 Yung Wing Scholar who hails from Thailand and currently works in Shanghai, was impressed by Yale’s commitment to bring students and faculty closer to Asia. “The candid and thought-provoking dialogue between the panelists and attendees today was refreshing and motivating, reminding me of the engaging discussions I enjoyed back at Yale. Being out of Yale for a while now and far away from campus, it is really an incredible opportunity to have a place like Yale Center Beijing, where the current Yale community can easily connect with the international community based in China and the rest of Asia,” she said.

Yale Center Beijing is Yale’s only university-wide center outside of the United States. To date, it has welcomed more than 63,000 guests and 5,500+ leadership and enrichment program participants.

To learn more about Yale and China, visit the Yale and the World website.