On September 15, 2025, the U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET) inaugurated its new Reading Room at George Washington University’s Sigur Center for Asian Studies.
Earlier this summer, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) generously donated its extensive collection of books on U.S.-China relations and China studies to USCET. Over the past few months, the collection was cataloged by USCET and placed in its permanent home in a newly furnished reading room on the 5th floor of GWU’s Elliott School of International Affairs (1957 E St, NW), a space kindly provided by the Sigur Center.
The event was kicked off by Ryan McElveen, incoming managing director of USCET, and featured remarks from Jan Berris, vice president of NCUSCR; Rosie Levine, executive director of USCET; and Eric Schluessel, director of the Sigur Center and NCUSCR Public Intellectuals Program (PIP) fellow. Together, they emphasized the importance of preserving resources that document decades of scholarship and engagement on U.S.-China relations, as well as the value of making these materials accessible to the next generation of students and researchers. To mark the occasion, the leaders of the host organizations formally unveiled a commemorative plaque that will be featured in the room. The USCET Reading Room embodies the shared mission of NCUSCR and USCET to educate the public and foster communication between the U.S. and China. By opening the collection to all students and researchers, the initiative ensures that these resources will continue to support education and dialogue for generations to come.
We thank everyone who joined us for this important milestone and look forward to welcoming visitors to explore the collection in the months ahead.
