Penn Choate Future Leaders China Study Tour

The Penn-Choate China Study Tour Program for Future Leaders is the product of collaboration between GSE International Programs Office and Choate Rosemary Hall, through the shared vision of Vice Dean Cheng Davis of Penn GSE and Choate Headmaster Edward Shanahan, and with the welcome assistance of Penn Trustee and former Choate parent Paul Kelly, president and CEO of Knox & Co. This innovative program has been specially designed to promote understanding of U.S.-China relations among the next generation of American leaders, and offers its carefully-selected participants the opportunity to interact personally with senior officials of the Chinese central and regional governments, national scholars, and leading figures in multinational corporations and joint U.S.-China business ventures during a two-week study tour of Beijing and Shanghai.

Through this combination of theory and real-world exposure, the students develop a nuanced understanding of China's history, current situation, and future, which will inform their later studies and subsequent career paths. As a condition of program participation, the students are required to share the knowledge they acquire by presenting on their experiences to other high school students after their return to China. Through this exchange, a wider understanding of U.S.-China relations among the students' peer groups will be promoted.

Qualified candidates for this program are selected on the basis of strong leadership potential and a demonstrated talent for and interest in international relations, politics and law. Participation in the tour is supported by scholarships funded through the Pacific Century CyberWorks (PCCW) Corporation, Ltd. of Hong Kong, covering the students' airfare, program tuition, and living expenses.

The first group of students to participate in the Penn-Choate China Study Tour Program for Future Leaders toured China June 9-23, 2007, and presented their experiences to their peers at Choate in October 2007.