Last week, from December 5-8, 2017, Our Executive Director, Alyssa Farrelly, attended the U.S.-China Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities Forum in Shenzhen, China. This was the inaugural year of the forum, which was sponsored by US Department of State and All-Youth China Federation. As part of this Forum, 50 American and 50 Chinese emerging leaders in entrepreneurship and […]

November 16 was our fourth annual national Pengyou Day! Young leaders all across the U.S and China held events to promote U.S.-China relations and encourage cross-cultural exchange and friendships. Over 100 campuses including Project Pengyou Chapters and Asia Society Confucius classrooms participated in conjunction with the U.S. State Department’s International Education Week. The nationwide campaign celebrated U.S.-China […]

On Monday, November 6th, Project Pengyou co-hosted a special panel event at the Hotel Jen Beijing with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) on how to build China into your career. This marked the third event in an annual series with SAIS (see the 2015 and […]

On Oct. 20, 2017, US Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, hosted nearly 100 American students and educators in Beijing at a special reception at his residence in Beijing, in collaboration with Project Pengyou and The US-China Strong Foundation. Ambassador Branstad encouraged more Americans to study in China and stressed the importance of people-to-people exchange for […]

This September 15th-18th concluded the 5th Project Pengyou Leadership Training Summit, where 45 dedicated and passionate young US-China bridge-builders from schools around the US spent 4 intensive days at Harvard honing their leadership skills. This year, they had their largest cohort ever, with 45 students from 42 colleges, high schools and universities as well as […]

From August 29th to September 2nd 2017, Project Pengyou organized their 3rd annual Fulbright Leadership Lecturer Program Conference and Orientation in Beijing. The Fulbright Lecturer Program is a semester or year-long exchange for American University professors to come teach in China at a Chinese University. All the professors are established in their respective fields back […]

On August 1st, Americans Promoting Study Abroad (APSA) hosted a panel discussion themed “Emerging US-China opportunities for aspiring young professionals”. Project Pengyou Interns were invited to attend the event, contribute to the conversation, and share the takeaways. At the Beijing American Center (BAC) in the U.S. Embassy, four professionals currently working in China shared their […]

On June 4-5, 2017 Project Pengyou held its annual Chapter Reunion & Leadership Retreat. This year’s event was hosted by the Project Pengyou American University Chapter in Washington, DC. For the third year in a row, Chapter leaders from across the United States gathered to celebrate and learn from each other. They were also joined […]

On Sunday, March 5, Project Pengyou joined with Sino-American talks, a group focused on exchanging perspectives of Americans and Chinese, to discuss the growth and the challenges that Americans studying in China face, and how to ensure that the next generations of cross-cultural leaders have a positive experience in China. The discussion covered a variety […]

For five days, 8 internationally-bound Chinese high school students met with workshop organizers, Jun Chen and Dr. Kanta Kohhar-Lindgren, at the Project Pengyou courtyard to learn communication and collaboration skills that would help them succeed as cross-cultural communicators in the United States. Students developed their skills by conducting a storytelling and art project that benefits […]

From January 27th to February 2nd, Project Pengyou Chapters across the nation celebrated Chinese New Year by Paying-it-Forward (PIFOCNY for short) and adopting a school in their community. By inspiring kids to learn about China from a young age, we hope they will grow up and become global citizens who appreciate other cultures. The goal of PIFOCNY is building […]

On Sunday, January 15th, Project Pengyou hosted around 50 Johns Hopkins University (JHU) students and alumni, many of whom came from the Hopkins Nanjing Center and the JHU School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The group of SAIS students are currently traveling in China while attending a master’s class conducting research on the South China […]

Just several days before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, in what many have called a historically divisive election, Golden Bridges founder Holly Chang penned an open letter to Pengyou-men everywhere, encouraging them not to succumb to feelings of doubt and hopelessness, to seek allies in unlikely places, and to continue to build bridges not only […]

It’s been almost two months since the launch of the US-China Comedy Center at the Project Pengyou Courtyard, and it has received an overwhelmingly positive response! During weeknights, the courtyard has been buzzing with improv, stand-up and comedy workshops – all in both Chinese and English. You can view photo highlights on the Project Pengyou […]

On November 17th, 2016, Project Pengyou held its 3rd annual Pengyou Day on 100 college campuses throughout the United States. Coming just several weeks after a historically divisive Presidential Election, those who participated saw this day as a much needed opportunity to encourage cultural bridge-building and to promote friendship, empathy, and mutual understanding within communities. […]

On November 9, the Project Pengyou team co-hosted a special panel event at Cafe Sambal in Shanghai with the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) and the Hopkins-China Forum on how to effectively build China experiences into a career. Topics included getting started in your career, the importance of language skills, and what skills are needed to shape […]

The US-China Comedy Center held a grand opening this past week at the Project Pengyou courtyard, inviting friends of US-China cultural exchange for wine, pizza and a show including a Xiangsheng (“Crosstalk”) performance by Jesse Appell and his Xiangsheng master, the illustrious Ding Guangquan. The US-China Comedy Center is a space for Americans and Chinese […]

Project Pengyou held its fourth annual Leadership Training Summit was held from October 7-10, 2016 at Harvard University. Here are some of the photo highlights from the four-day conference with the newest cohort of 39 Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows hailing from 32 schools across the U.S. The 4-day training summit was based on renowned Harvard […]

On July 21, Project Pengyou team visited a group of high school students participating in Americans Promoting Study Abroad at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication to introduce our organization and participate in a dumpling making activity. The group was composed of students from various cities across the United States and Britain who have shown […]

On July 8, Committee of 100 (C-100) hosted a Global Chinese Philanthropy Symposium at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, bringing together United Nations Officials, members of C-100 from U.S. and China, outstanding Chinese entrepreneurs and philanthropists to discuss the development of philanthropy in China and the world. Project Pengyou Intern Xin Xie attended the […]

On Monday, July 4th, Project Pengyou hosted their fourth annual Independence Day BBQ. The event proved to be a good chance for American guests in China to celebrate their national holiday and bond over shared traditions while introducing the related history and culture to Chinese guests. The crowd included past Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows and […]

On June 25, Project Pengyou teamed up with local magazine The Beijinger and other local organizations to host a mixer at Home Plate BBQ in Sanlitun that brought together representatives from language schools and programs around Beijing. It concluded a month-long campaign to promote Mandarin study by various local organizations. The campaign targeted people who […]

On June 13th, 2016 Project Pengyou, returned to the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies – China (SAIS – China) bringing together Project Pengyou Chapter leaders, students, and professionals in Washington D.C. for a speaker panel to give advice on building a US-China Career. Holly Chang, President of the Golden Bridges Foundation, and Executive […]

On June 12 and June 13, Project Pengyou Chapter Leaders from across the United States gathered at the University of Maryland to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and learn from each other for the second time since the launch of the Project Pengyou Chapter Network in March 2014. 16 Project Pengyou Chapters traveled from across the […]

On May 16, Project Pengyou hosted the China Carbon Forum and the Center for Sustainability in Shanghai who brought a crew of 25 students from the California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) in San Francisco.The students were all on their first trip to China, and have been traveling around exploring issues of sustainability in […]

On July 24, a group of 30 high school students participating in Americans Promoting Study Abroad visited the Golden Bridges Courtyard to learn more about the organization. The group was composed of students from various cities across the United States who have shown an early interest in learning Chinese, as well as the importance of […]

On Friday, July 3rd, Project Pengyou hosted their third annual Independence Day BBQ.

On June 20th and 21st, members representing 20 of the 34 Project Pengyou Chapters gathered at the University of Maryland to culminate the launch of the Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows Program one year ago.

On April 19th, Project Pengyou hosted a reception for the newly admitted students of Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

On March 24th, The University of International Business and Economics in Beijing hosted a conference on the subject of attracting more international students in Beijing.

During Chinese New Year, Project Pengyou Campus Chapters on both high school and college campuses across America celebrated and shared the Project Pengyou mission by organizing ways for members to “pay it forward” in their community.

On November 20th, Project Pengyou Campus Chapters joined with the US State Department’s International Education Week and Asia Society Confucius Classrooms to celebrate US-China study, engagement, and friendship by simultaneously launching events and social media campaigns.

On November 18th and 19th, the 100,000 Strong Foundation, in partnership with The George Washington University’s Confucius Institute and the Education Office of the PRC Embassy, hosted its first ever 100K Strong Student Reunion.

On October 31 and November 1, founder and President of the Golden Bridges Foundation, Holly Chang, spoke at the China Philanthropy Summit in Indianapolis.

On the weekend of October 10th, Project Pengyou brought together 40 American high school and college students as participants in the second annual Project Pengyou Leadership Training Summit on the Harvard University campus.

On the weekend of October 10th, nine Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows had the opportunity to attend the Committee of 100 Annual Conference in New York City celebrating the 25th anniversary of the organization.

On July 10th, 2014, Project Pengyou and the Golden Bridges Foundation were honored to participate in an event at the Great Hall of the People celebrating 35 years of US-China student and scholarly exchange.

On July 9th, Golden Bridges Foundation hosted an event featuring Tom Healy, Chairman of the Fulbright Scholarship Program.

This Monday, June 30th, high school students from around the United States came to hear a talk delivered by Holly Chang, president and founder of the Golden Bridges Foundation.

On Monday, June 9th, The Golden Bridges Foundation President Holly Chang gave a talk on philanthropy in China for an NYU SCPS student group. The speech covered topics such as the background of the Golden Bridges Foundation and Project Pengyou, and gave context to doing philanthropic work in China.

On Thursday, June 5, Holly Chang served as a judge for Day 1 of the Enactus China competition. Enactus is an international organization that seeks to unite students passionate about using social entrepreneurship as a tool to build and promote a more sustainable world.

This year’s AmCham China charity gala, the American Ball, took place on May 31st at the Indigo Winter Garden in Beijing. The event was attended by many leaders and officials, including the President of The Golden Bridges Foundation, Holly Chang.

On April 25-26,2014, The Committee of 100 held its 23rd Annual Common Ground Conference in tandem with a Leadership Summit at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. Project Pengyou is excited to have acted as a promotional partner for and participant in this conference. This year, Holly Chang, Executive Director at Project Pengyou and President of The Golden Bridges Foundation, was able to take part in both the conference and leadership summit.

From April 18th-20th, Harvard University hosted their 16th annual Harvard China Forum. Founded in 1998, Harvard China Forum is the leading student organized North American conference dedicated to a constructive dialogue on the challenges, trends, and issues affecting China. In keeping with this year’s conference theme- The capacity of China to lead- President of Golden Bridges Foundation, Holly Chang, gave a talk on social innovation and entrepreneurship in China.

On April 12, Holly Chang, President of The Golden Bridges Foundation, spoke at an event hosted by the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, with support from the Ford Foundation, which convened 150 high-school students pursuing Chinese language study with 50 alumni and officers of leading organizations active in U.S.-China academic exchange.

From March 20-23, The Golden Bridges Foundation held its first Project Pengyou Fellows Leadership Program at Harvard University. 40 participants were selected from an applicant pool of approximately 300 students to take part in a 4 day exploration of community organizing, service and cross-cultural leadership.

Before returning to the United States, Ambassador Gary Locke hosted a reception for Project Pengyou at the U.S. Embassy. During his time as Ambassador, Locke has been an avid supporter of increased citizen diplomacy between the US and China, stressing that cross-cultural, mutual understanding is a must for an amicable US-China relationship in the future. Other speakers at the event included Elizabeth Knupf, Chief Representative of the Ford Foundation Beijing Office and Project Pengyou’s founding sponsor, as well as the President of the Golden Bridges Foundation, Holly Chang. Ambassador Gary Locke has been an influential leader and a supporter of Project Pengyou since his appointment in 2011, and it was a great pleasure to participate in his farewell tour.

On February 12, Holly Chang attended a farewell luncheon for the former US Ambassador to China, Gary Locke. Hosted by The American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) in partnership with The US-China Business Council (USCBC) and the United States Information Technology Office (USITO), the event honored Ambassador Locke and his accomplishments, particularly the large increase in Chinese investment in the US.

On Dec. 6th and 7th, Holly Chang, President of The Golden Bridges Foundation, participated as a delegate at the Asia Society’s 8th Annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit.  Approximately 100 delegates converged from around the Asia Pacific to meet and discuss the pressing demands of leadership from some of the toughest challenges in the region. […]

On November 21st, 2013, the 100,000 Strong Foundation, a partner of the Golden Bridges Foundation, convened their first annual conference to enhance U.S.-China relations through study abroad. Co-hosted by American University’s School of International Service (SIS), the conference occurred in conjunction with the fourth annual U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) co-chaired by Vice Premier Madam Liu Yandong and Secretary of State John Kerry.

This past week, there were a string of philanthropy-related gatherings and conferences in Beijing. As the philanthropic sector continues to grow in China, Golden Bridges is witnessing an increasing number of high profile events.

Henry Tang is Managing Partner of Carnegie Towers Group and Co-Founder of the Committee of 100. Henry Tang has 35 years of experience on Wall Street as an investment banker. In 1989, with good friends I.M. Pei, Yo-yo Ma and a few other prominent Chinese-Americans, Mr.Tang co-founded the Committee of 100, the world’s most influential Chinese-American leadership organization.

On October 31, 2013, as part of our efforts for Project Pengyou, we led a delegation of alumni from various study abroad programs to the Committee of 100 5th Greater China Conference in Beijing.

Last week, new senior management from the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) visited the Golden Bridges Headquarters.

Holly Chang, President of the Golden Bridges Foundation, recently traveled to Chengdu to speak at the inaugural Rotary China Conference on October 19-20, 2013.

On October 14, 2013, Golden Bridges had the honor of hosting Mei Yan, former MD of MTV Greater China for a Project Pengyou event where she shared her unique personal journey.

On September 11, 2013, Golden Bridges attended the inaugural Committee of 100 Speakers Forum called, “Gateway to the Pacific: U.S.-China Economic and Entrepreneurial Exchange”. The Committee of 100 Speakers Forum Series serves as a high-level platform to highlight major issues in U.S.-China relations and the Asian American community. Conducted in C-100’s five main regions – […]

On July 16, 2013, The Golden Bridges Foundation helped to facilitate a dinner with the head of United Way and other prominent Chinese foundation leaders at The Sheraton’s Yue Restaurant.

This past July, President of GBF, Holly Chang, traveled to Peterhof, Russia to attend The Emerging Societies – Emerging Philanthropies International Forum.

On May 14, 2013, The Ford Foundation announced the appointment of Ms. Elizabeth D. Knup as head of its office in China, based in Beijing.