Professional Fellows Program

The National Committee is very pleased to be working in partnership with the China Global Philanthropy Institute in Beijing, the Hong Kong America Center in Hong Kong, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange in Taipei to administer a two-way exchange for emerging leaders in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States in the fields of environment, philanthropy, legal aid, and community building among marginalized populations. The program, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is a capacity-building project for professionals in the non-governmental sector.

The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) comprises four rounds: 14 fellows from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan travel to the United States in the spring and approximately seven Americans travel to China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan in the summer. Similar numbers travel in the fall (fellows from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to the United States) and in the spring (Americans to China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan). All Asian participants take part in pre-departure and post-arrival orientation programs, a four-week fellowship at a relevant host organization in the United States, a two-day wrap-up and evaluation session, and a Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, D.C., for fellows from more than 60 countries and territories around the world participating in similar programs. After returning home, fellows will develop and implement a project based on and informed by their fellowship experiences.

American participants will spend two weeks in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan visiting their counterparts and collaborating with them on their projects.

                                               

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State, administered by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Partner(s): 
China Global Philanthropy Institute
Hong Kong America Center
Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange
Funder(s): 
U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Topic: 
Culture
Governance & Civil Society
Next Generation Leaders
Tags: 
Community Building
Environment
Legal Aid
NGO
Philanthropy

Past Fellows

  • Fall 2019 (Inbound)

    Winter 2019 (Outbound)

    • Fellow Peter Smerud describes his experience traveling to nature reserves in southern China on Minnesota radio station KYMN 95.1 The One: https://bit.ly/2Sg6coX, January 29, 2020

    Spring 2019 (Inbound)

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  • Spring 2017 (Outbound)

    Fall 2016 (Inbound)

    Fellow Undrakh Chunchuluun selected by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as an Alumni Impact Award winner for her work with young men and boys on intimate partner violence prevention, May 2018. Click here to read more.

    Fellow Sun Cheng featured in New Security Beat article, "With Network of River Watchers, Green Hunan Opens Second Front in China’s War on Pollution," December 26, 2016

    Fellow Zhang Yang featured on the Manny Cantor Center's website in an interview, "Meet Manny Cantor’s Early Childhood Visiting Fellow: Yang Zhang," October 20, 2016

    As part of the Celebrating 30 Years of U.S.-Mongolia Diplomatic Relations:  A Public Diplomacy Bonanza put on by the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, fall 2016 PFP fellow Oyundari Khurelbaatar, community arts education program director at the Arts Council of Mongolia, organized a concert tour for the Mongolian group Break with Reality.  Here she is (second from left in orange shawl) backstage at the Mongolian State Opera & Ballet Theater with Mongolian and American musicians and event organizers.

    Summer 2016 (Outbound)

    Spring 2016 (Inbound)

    PFP alum Tan Liya (spring 2016) attended the November 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Germany as part of the Chinese NGO observer delegation. The Chinese delegation members hosted several side events and submitted a position paper to the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] Secretariat. The below picture shows her at the Chinese pavilion.

  • Spring 2016 (Outbound)

    Fall 2015 (Inbound)

    Summer 2015 (Outbound)

    Spring 2015 (Inbound)

     

     

    Program Highlight - Li Li:

    Chinese Fellow Li Li had a busy first week!  She learned about the work of her placement organization, the Center for Battered Women's Legal Services at Sanctuary for Families in New York City, through numerous discussions with staff members, observation of some activities, and by attending the annual volunteer awards program called “Pillars of Change – Celebrating Sanctuary’s Volunteers.”  She noted three things:  how much the amazing volunteers contribute, how volunteers are managed effectively, and the involvement of law firms that work with Sanctuary for Families.  With Sanctuary colleagues she also visited the Queens (NY) Family Justice Center and the Queens Human Trafficking Intervention Court.  She was particularly impressed by the judge who was “super nice” and extremely patient with the defendants.

     

    Program Highlight - Javzansuren Norvanchig:

    NCUSCR Mongolian Fellow Javzansuren Norvanchig, a water specialist with WaSH Mongolia [WaSH stands for water, sanitation, and hygiene] is spending the month of May at Waterkeeper Alliance (WKA) in New York City.  She participated in Riverkeeper Sweep, an annual event of Riverkeeper (a WKA member) to keep the watershed area and water of the Hudson River clean.  The Sweep kick-off event was organized on Randall’s Island where volunteers pulled weeds and planted grass along the riverbank to protect the natural habitat.  Talking and working with people committed to river clean-up in New York City inspires Javzaa to advocate for clean water in Mongolia.

     
    Javzansuren Norvanchig at Riverkeeper Sweep kick-off, Randall’s Island, NYC, May 2015

     

    Program Highlight - Feng Ling:

    NCUSCR Chinese Fellow Feng Ling, vice director and research fellow of the Huamin Charity Foundation in Beijing, accompanied the executive director of Community Research Partners in Columbus, Ohio, to a client meeting with Nationwide Children’s Hospital for discussions of indicators and metrics of success.  In China, hospitals rarely consider social indicators in assessing their work.  “Seeing how this is done in the United States will be inspiring to me when I conduct public health projects in China.”  The hospital itself was very bright and cheerful – “more color, less pain.”

     
    The bright and cheerful Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH

     

    Program Highlight - Mei Lan:

    Mei Lan, a member of the Tujia ethnic minority in China who is interested in green historic preservation, spent the first two weeks of her NCUSCR fellowship placement at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C., where she had opportunities to speak with a range of people at the National Trust and beyond.  She found them united in their passion to preserve “invaluable old things,” and was amazed by their accomplishments.   One project of particular interest is the HOPE Crew Project, an initiative to train young people in preservation crafts while helping to protect historic cultural sites on public lands.  Named “HOPE Crew” for “Hands-On Preservation Experience,” the program links preservation projects to the national youth corps.  It brings the potential for thousands of crew members to work on hundreds of sites, learning preservation craft skills while rehabilitating historic places.  Ms. Mei observed that HOPE Crew “not only educates people about the importance of old buildings, but most importantly helps them learn a new life skill.”

     
    Mei Lan with Monica Rhodes, Associate Director, HOPE Crew Program, National Trust for Historic Preservation

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