A Brief Reflection for 2023 Summer Institute in Georgia State University

                                                                                                               Jiang Xulan，2021 Humanities, CHC

From July 4^thto August 4^th, I together with 5 companions, on behalf of Cuiying Honors College, participated in the summer institute in Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, US. Our whole month period academic exchange programme turned out to be a success, with all of us not only having finished two professional courses successfully but also having cultivated comprehensive capacities of independence, communication, and socializing in an exotically alien environment. So, foremost, I want to deliver my sincere gratitude to Cuiying Honors College that providedsus with this invaluable and meaningful opportunity to attend the summer exchange programme in the US.

Here I am going to give three paragraphs to fully develop and explain my thoughts from different angles during the summer institute.

One of the main things I want to mention is ethical abundance. Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, also the place where we spent most of our time, is an impeccably cosmopolitan city. As it is shown in relevant demographics, the vast majority of the population in Atlanta is Black and Hispanic, unexpectedly not a white-dominant city. So it is a fairly typical melting pot of racial diversity, and I can see that clearly throughout the college. The canteen staffsin every position like receptionists, cooks, and cleaners were almost Black; one of my teachers was Asian-American; and also many Hispanics could be seen in places like the zoo and cinemas. I know America is culturally diverse, but I must say I have never encountered such abundance in ethnicity and it definitely brings about strong cultural shocks because I am the foreigner here! Overall, interaction with people with different racial and cultural backgrounds can be absolutely interesting but also more or less challenging, and this, I reckon, is the real delectation of multicultural dialogue.

The second thing, however, is the huge gap between social status, particularly associated with the racial discrepancy between the White and the Black. Progressive as the abandonment of the notorious racial segregation was, a border between the wealthy White and the impoverished and homeless Black still exists sharply. Downtown, the southern center of Atlanta, where our school Georgia State University was located, accommodated thousands of homeless people struggling to lift up of poverty. For example, a public square park opposite a school teaching building was home to tens of the homeless, the vast majority of whom were Black. Midtown, in contrast, in northern Atlanta, is obviously a wealthy hub, where the streets are clean and well paved and the shops are well maintained. However, this is not a single case, in fact, poverty and homelessness issues are universal phenomena across the entire US, especially in metropolises like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In China, however, with the consistent efforts of the government, absolute poverty and impoverishment have been effectively eliminated.

Turning to personal acquisition, the third thing noteworthy is the enhancement of confidence, self-independence, as well as cultural awareness. Although physical and mental obstacles may occur, such as homesickness, language barrier, and cultural differences, the advantages to reaching out beyond one’s limits, I believe, always outweigh the drawbacks. Communicating with a range of English native speakers has strongly boosted my capability to speak English with confidence, naturalness,and flexibility, contributing to my good performance in the IELTS speaking test, obtaining a 7 for Speaking. And exposed to an alien living environment, I have cultivated my cooking skills, as well as purchasing necessities in the supermarket independently. Additionally, I appreciated a set of museums, art galleries,and history centers, and such experiences dramatically broadened my horizons and expanded my aesthetical comprehension.

Consequently, the 2023 summer institute in GSU is a really fruitful exchange study programme in both academic training and international experience, and again I heartfeltly appreciate the assistance and convenience that Cuiying Honors College provided in this programme.