On Common Ground Conference
Part I: Stanford University, April
Part II: Chinese University, November
The cornerstone of FACES. efforts is an annual forum of two week-long conferences, one held at Stanford University and one in China, which bring together 40 outstanding students from universities in both countries. Each year FACES subsidizes delegates. travel expenses to attend our international two-part conference On Common Ground.
Every April, a class of fifty delegates arrives at Stanford University for a week of panels and seminars. These intellectual discussions draw on the cultural and academic strengths of experts from Stanford and premier institutions across the United States.
In November, the delegates convene again at On Common Ground Part IIi, hosted by one of our Chinese chapters and featuring renowned speakers based in China. Having already created a strong foundation from Part I at Stanford, Part II allows for deeper dialogue and exploration amongst the delegates as they continue to build trust and learn from each other's points of view.
During the conferences, students interact with current leaders while playing key roles in round-table discussions, workshops, and a crisis simulation that addresses the most pressing issues in U.S.-China relations. The unique two-part conference model exposes delegates to the realities of each other.s home countries and pushes them to experience entirely new perspectives.
Delegates are selected for their potential to shape U.S.-China relations as future leaders in a range of careers including government, journalism and business. Through their interactions at the conferences, these future American and Chinese leaders will gain a better understanding of one another, both culturally and personally. They will have the chance to share ideas, experiences, and perspectives. Past delegates have included Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright scholars and students from top universities such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Berkeley, Fudan and Peking University.
Collaborative Projects: A History
The FACES collaborative projects (CP) program began in 2004 as an effort to leverage the talent drawn to the conferences toward directly contributing to the U.S.-China relationship. First year projects focused on the production of research papers; however, subsequent years have seen a gradual trend toward projects that incorporate community involvement. They have resulted in audio programs, podcasts, documentaries, NGOs, FACES chapters, and community service groups.
The organization of the groups has changed over time, as well. Over the years, group sizes have ranged from four to ten people at different times. In addition, the role of FACES officers in the program has seen a variety of models. The first round of projects, being research papers, did not require as much planning and resources as many later projects did. By 2006, FACES collaborative projects recruited regular officers as CP advisors in a one-to-one relationship with project groups over the summer. Their responsibilities included keeping collaborative projects on schedules and maintaining communication with group members.
The FACES Collaborative Project Program seeks to:
- Enable new connections between the peoples of the U.S. and China beyond FACES as a result of the talent and inspiration within the delegates
- Strengthen enduring friendships among the delegates
- Improve the FACES reputation through outreach work