To keep such cooperation running smoothly, the program has developed a multilayered communication system. University leaders provide support, while academic affairs and international offices coordinate implementation at the institutional level, with departments, counselors and program coordinators handling the work on the ground, Wu introduced.

　　Persistent echo

　　or Wu, some of the most revealing moments have come from American participants after they return home.

　　In July, You Bourin of Salem State University completed a three-week study visit to China. He described the trip as a unique opportunity to experience Chinese culture, share aspects of American education and culture with Chinese people and form friendships that could last a lifetime.

　　As a clinical social worker, he said he believes that human connection and understanding one another"s experiences are foundations for mutual growth. When people remain connected, he said, differences between countries do not have to become barriers.

　　Stephenson Kyon Latell of Kentucky State University was struck by the importance that Chinese young people placed on education and peace. To remember his experience in Xi"an, Northwest China"s Shaanxi Province, he wrote, "Education is hope, peace is power."

　　Traveling through Jinan, Tai"an and Qufu in East China"s Shandong Province, Stephenson said he encountered warmth across generations, from children to older people, and left China regarding it as a second home across the Pacific.

　　Pinto Bladimir Martinello of Salem State University described education as a universal language. Visiting Beijing, Xi"an and Qufu, he said, changed his understanding of China and showed him values such as kindness, friendship and harmony that he viewed as shared across societies. Stepping outside his comfort zone, he added, had also made him more independent and confident.