Peking University Education Foundation (USA) established the Samuel Berger Memorial Fellowship in July 2019. The Fellowship was proposed by Julia Chang Bloch, President of the US-China Education Trust and former U.S. Ambassador to Nepal, who was entrusted by Susan Berger, wife of the late Honorable Samuel Berger, former National Security Assistant to President Bill Clinton. The Fellowship aims to promote cultural and educational communication between the youth of the U.S. and China, empower young Chinese scholars to deepen the scope of their research into America, so as to promote the U.S.-China cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

On October 18, the Berger Memorial Fellowship launching ceremony was held at Peking University. Terry Branstad, the U.S. Ambassador to China, Yuanping Qiu, former Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, Carlos Gutierrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, Nicholas Platt, former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and former President of the Asia Society, President Julia Chang Bloch, Bo Wang, Vice President of Peking University, and Lynn Zhao, President of Peking University Education Foundation (USA) attended the ceremony.

Ambassador Terry Branstad noted that the fellowship is of great significance to support the young leaders and people-to-people exchanges that will underpin the relationship between the U.S. and China for years to come. As he commented, “we need to cultivate a generation of leaders willing to listen to one another, and to understand one another, and I believe that is exactly what the Sandy Berger Fellowship will do”.

Ms. Susan Berger sent a heartfelt letter to applaud the event, in which she reviewed her late husband’s contribution to U.S.-China relations and expected that students of Peking University would promote the bilateral relations in different fields in the future. As President Julia Chang Bloch commented, “the Fellowships will encourage and support young Chinese scholars, whose study and research will carry on Samuel Berger’s vision for a more collaborative future in U.S.-China relations.”

President Bo Wang said that the young generation is the future of U.S.-China friendship, and the establishment of the Fellowship attaches great importance to research on U.S.-China relations and cultural exchanges between the two countries. President Wang recalled the historical moment when Mr. Berger visited Peking University in 1998 and expressed gratitude to Mr. Berger and Peking University Education Foundation (USA).

PKUEF (USA) is excited that this new fellowship continues the legacy of dialogue with China even in the most difficult of times, epitomized by Mr. Berger. The Fellowship will nurture the next generation of Chinese scholars engaged in American Studies and International Relations, support the young leaders and people-to-people exchanges to foster better U.S.-China relations.