Northwestern Goes to Asia

Alumni, current students and new students entering next fall crowded into events in four Asian cities recently to meet Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro and learn more about the University.

The president’s 14-day swing through Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong included alumni events in each city, as well as meetings with individual alumni and interviews with Chinese media. A highlight of the trip was a visit to the Great Wall of China with approximately 50 undergraduate students who are studying in two Northwestern programs in Beijing this summer.

In Shanghai, the Northwestern delegation was welcomed to the World Expo 2010 by three Northwestern alumni who are working at the huge event, which has attracted millions of visitors. Jill Hellman, KSM07, managing director-China for the Thayer Lodging Group, and Sammy Semwangu, WCAS06, and Hannah Bolder, WCAS10, who work at the U.S. pavilion at the Expo, combined to provide a special tour for the Northwestern group.

The Northwestern event in Shanghai also provided a wonderful moment when approximately a dozen local students who will enter Northwestern as first-year students next fall and their parents were welcomed by several current students who also attended the event. After the formal program ended, the new students rushed to their older counterparts to get the scoop on such things as which dining halls had the best food, where to go in Evanston and Chicago, and other tips on life at Northwestern.

All four alumni events attracted crowds of more than 75 people who enthusiastically welcomed President Schapiro and urged Northwestern to increase its presence in Asia.

In both Beijing and Shanghai, President Schapiro did a series of interviews with both English-language and Chinese-language media outlets. The interviews covered a wide range of topics on higher education in both the U.S. and China.