哈佛大学学生团队来华参访

During the week-long visit from Mar. 12th to the 20th, the 30-person delegation set foot in four cities including Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Beijing.

But it was not the natural scenery or the historical sites that filled up their visiting schedule.

Rather, the delegation paid visits to many high-level government bodies such as the State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and private corporations representing China's finance sector and media.

Anjali Thakkar is an MD/MBA double major at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School

"I've heard the concept of harmony and its relation to China before, but we've had experiences with business leaders, political leaders, talking about the economic climate political climate as well as history and culture. Every single one of those in some way touched down the idea of harmony and optimism."

To most of the delegates selected from over 250 student applicants across different schools at Harvard, this was the first visit to China.

Many say the trip has brought them new perspectives on China's social beliefs and economic system.

Michael He is a sophomore at Harvard College majoring in economics.

"I knew a lot about the interaction between government and business in China but the most unexpected thing about that is just how well it works. We learned a lot about how different companies are using the interaction with the government to make a lot of progress in rural china and china as a whole. So I'm really amazed in how that has happened over the years."

Liu Xi, Chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Harvard Kennedy School, and chief organizer of the China trek project, says the trip to China will bring a better understanding between the Chinese and the American people in the near future.

"I dare not say that these Harvard students will grow to become presidents in the future, but they will become leadings figure in their own professional fields. If they can establish an objective view of China in the early days of their careers, in the future their perspectives on China will have great value and they can influence the others, which is a great outcome of the people-to-people diplomacy."

The China Trek project is one of the activities of the World Youth Development Forum, a non-profit organization created by Harvard Alumni.

For CRI, this is Liu Mohan.