GW Chinese Major Placed 1st Again at the 11th Chinese Speech Contest

Julian Panero (left), GW Chinese major, placed 1st in the 11th Annual Chinese Bridge Speech Competition preliminaries, Washington DC site.

The 2012 competition of the DC site was held on April 15, at the University of Maryland Confucius Institute, with 10 competitors from six universities. Competitors were required to perform a formal speech, answer quiz questions on Chinese language and cultural knowledge, and perform a talent related to Chinese culture. Two students from Georgetown University won the second place.

The 1st place winners at regional preliminaries are expected to join others from other countries all over the world to compete in Beijing on the International Chinese Bridge Contest in the summer, which will be aired on Chinese national television!

The GW candidates have been extremely competitive in recent contests. Caleb Dependahl competed in 2010 and won the third place. In 2011, Tim Quinn and Caleb placed the first and second respectively. In this year's contest, Julian's outstanding performance in all three parts of the competition again placed GW at the top.  Dr. Julia Xiaoning Chen (right) was the coach of the three GW winners. 

Sing Tao Daily (星岛日报）has detailed report on this event.
http://ny.stgloballink.com:82/washington/201204/t20120421_1730285.html

ACC Fulbright Scholarships Available for Spring 2012

Students who are interested in applying for the ACC Spring term and are interested in a Fulbright scholarship or international travel funds, please contact the ACC office at acchina@hamilton.edu immediately. For downloading the application forms for the ACC Spring term and scholarships, please visit www.hamilton.edu/china.

The Fulbright scholarship requires applicants to be a US citizen, must sign an agreement with ACC, and carry out a community service during the program.

Important dates for the ACC Spring Term Application:
· Fulbright Scholarships: $2000-$6000: Application deadline: 10/15/2011
· International travel aid: $600-$1400: Application deadline: 10/15/2011
· ACC Spring term application deadline: October 15th, 2011

GW Winners' Speeches Published in China!

We are happy to announce that following GW's sweep of the Chinese Bridge Competition (汉语桥演讲比赛) last spring (for the preliminary round at the Washington site), the winners, Tim Quinn and Caleb Dependahl, had their speeches published recently in 中国语言生活,an online magazine by The Commercial Press (商务印书馆)! The Commercial Press was founded in 1897 and continues to be one of the top, most well-respected publishers in all of China. It is quite an achievement for anyone to be published by The Commercial Press, and we are more than proud of Tim and Caleb! Congratulations! Also many thanks to Dr. Xiaoning Chen, our Visiting Fellow from China, who has contributed to the success of the two winners and initially recommended the speeches to the Chinese publisher.

Follow the link below to view the magzine and our winners'speeches:

http://yuyankaifa.com/yuyanshenghuo/201104/index.html

GWU to Hold the First Jiangsu Cup Chinese Speech Contest in Fall 2011

GW is going to hold the first Jiangsu Cup Chinese Speech Contest in fall 2011! This is a collaborative event co-sponsored by Jiangsu International Culture Exchange Center and Nanjing University, China. Students will have the opportunity to win a sizable scholarship to study in China (M.A. degree or short term) or a free 8-day cultural tour of Jiangsu, China in summer 2012!

Information about the contest is available online at:
http://columbian.gwu.edu/jiangsucup

Interested GW students (undergrads) should get a Chinese teacher's recommendation first. Then they can enter the preliminary competition at the following site. Candidates will be asked to write an essay online (three paragraphs) and record a self-introduction (2-3minutes). The online preliminary competition will be open 9/22-9/30 at the following site:

Jiangsu Cup --GW Preliminary Competition
http://www.quia.com/quiz/3280403.html

If you have questions please contact Zhang laoshi at

Internship for Fall 2011

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program announces internship opportunities for Fall 2011. The deadline to apply is Thursday, June 30, 2011.

Selected interns will be provided with an office space equipped with a computer, phone, access to Smithsonian collections, libraries, and other resources, as well as advice and research guidance from the APA Program and other Smithsonian staff. Smithsonian interns have the opportunity to develop both research and professional skills and to participate in numerous intern activities and events at the Smithsonian.

Applicants will be chosen based on their scholarly qualifications, experience working with APA communities, and the quality of the research project proposed and its suitability to the APA Program's missions and goals. Eligible applicants must be a current college student, recent college graduate (within one calendar year), and/or have been accepted to enter an advanced degree program. Most interns are at the senior or junior undergraduate level, though strongly qualified sophomores and freshmen will be considered. Graduate students are eligible to apply.

To apply, register on the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA) through its website's left navigation, follow the instructions there, and choose the APA Program's internship option. Please note that accepted applicants will need to submit background check forms one month before their start date. Accepted applicants are responsible for arranging their own housing during their appointment.

Most internships at the Smithsonian are unpaid, but interns may receive academic credit through their universities. Students are encouraged to apply for independent grants or scholarships through their schools or outside sources to financially support them during their internship appointment. Funding is available on a competitive basis through the Minority Awards Program from the Smithsonian Institution's Office of Fellowships.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Contact Krista Aniel, Internship Coordinator, for help or more information.

Telephone:
(202) 633-2691

Office Address:
Capital Gallery, Suite 7065
600 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024
(Google Map)

Graduating Senior Receives the Fulbright Grant

Sarah Tynen, B.A. International Affairs, 2011
Received a 2011-2012 Fulbright award to China and Critical Language Enhancement Award for the study of Chinese at the Middlebury school in Kunming.

Sarah Tynen is a graduating senior in The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Asian Studies and a minor in Chinese Language and Literature. During her time at GW, Sarah has interned for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, GWU Institute for International Economic Policy, and Hudson Institute. From 2009-2010, she studied abroad in Nanjing, China for a year, where she lived with a host family, studied Chinese, and taught English. Upon her return, she was elected Vice President of the GWU Organization of Asian Studies. After learning about Chinese-Middle Eastern and Chinese-Central Asian affairs, she was inspired to write her senior honors thesis on the role of the international Uyghur movement in the ethno-diplomacy of Chinese-Turkish relations. In March 2011, she attended a conference in Sydney, Australia to present her paper, which will be published by the Elliott School this summer. She will be returning to China in August 2011 on a Fulbright award.

The Grant
The Fulbright grant requires a total of 14 months in China: 4 months of language study and 10 months of research. Sarah will first study Chinese for four months at the CV-Starr Middlebury school in Kunming, Yunnan for the Critical Language Enhancement Award of the Fulbright scholarship. Upon completion, she will begin her 10-month Fulbright grant in Nanjing.
For her Fulbright research, Sarah plans to examine the impact of urban renewal on the preservation of tradition and cultural identity, To do so, she will conduct a case study in Old Nanjing, home to some of Nanjing's oldest housing structures and poorest residents. This will focus on the influence of urban redevelopment on the preservation of Nanjing cultural identity and tradition. Under the mentorship of Professor Chen Yunqian of Nanjing University, this study will serve as a tool for both Chinese and Westerners in creating urban development policies.

Tim Quinn 丁崑天 Placed 1st in the 10th Annual Chinese Bridge

Story Contributed by Tim Quinn
Videos by Miaochun Wei

At the beginning of this semester, having just come back from study abroad, I was eager to find avenues to keep up with my Chinese and keep honing my language skills. When Wei Laoshi approached me and asked me if I wanted to compete in the Hanyuqiao competition, I agreed without hesitation. I didn’t even know what Hanyuqiao was at the time, all I knew was that it would give me extra opportunity to practice Chinese outside of my literature class with Professor Liana Chen.
When I agreed to participate I didn’t know who I would be working with nor did I know what I would be doing. I got an email from Professor Xiaoning Chen and I still remember our first meeting. We talked and she asked me about what I would like to do for the competition – I hadn’t a clue.


(Photo by Phyllis Zhang)

A few weeks went by and before I knew it I had a piece to practice complete with singing and tongue twisters. Chen Laoshi was strict, but I appreciated every moment of it and I am convinced that she has helped me immensely in maintaining and furthering my Chinese language capabilities. Given her impressive resume and her experience as an emcee, even a native mandarin speaker would be envious of the time I got to spend training with her.

In the weeks before the competition, I never even thought for one moment I had a chance at winning. I had entirely convinced myself that regardless the outcome I had decided to compete solely for the experience. It wasn’t until I got on the stage to give my speech that I fully came to realize just how much a help Chen Laoshi had actually been. Naturally, I was happy when I saw my scores (and I was even happier when I found out I won!) yet the most rewarding part of this experience hasn’t been the outcome, but rather the experience itself.

I am looking forward to going to China to participate in the next stages of this competition. However, what I look forward to more is coming back. Chen Laoshi has agreed to keep practicing with me during her time in Washington DC and it is this for which I am most grateful and excited. Yes, the awards and the recognition have been great. But the best part of participating in this year’s Hanyuqiao competition without a doubt has been the fact that it has given me the opportunity to meet and work with so many of our Chinese department’s wonderful faculty, especially Professor Xiaoning Chen. It was an absolute honor to represent GW and to represent such an excellent staff of dedicated and hardworking people. --Tim


The George Washington University
B.A. International Development/Anthropology
Class of 2012