China-America Student Conference

Program Overview

Bridging Horizons, Building Futures
跨越山海，共筑未来

We chose the theme “Bridging Horizons, Building Futures” because it reflects the importance of empathy and dialogue in an increasingly interconnected yet divided world. The theme encourages students to look beyond differences — especially within the context of U.S.-China relations — and to find common ground where collaboration can lead to shared progress. It inspires us to not only understand diverse perspectives but also to actively shape a more inclusive and cooperative global future.

ChASC 5 invites students to examine how shared goals and divergent perspectives can coexist in a complex global landscape. Against the backdrop of the U.S.-China relationship, delegates will explore questions of cooperation, conflict, and cultural preservation — building the skills and empathy needed to bridge divides.

• Applications open: Fall 2025
• Conference dates: July 3 – 24, 2026
• Sites: Washington, DC, Missoula, MT, in the USA, and Kunming, Yunnan, and Beijing, China

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Roundtables

Each delegate joins a Roundtable (RT)—a small, cross-cultural group that explores one dimension of the U.S.–China relationship. Roundtables meet regularly throughout the conference, using dialogue, case studies, and collaborative projects to dig into their chosen theme. At the end, each group presents its insights at the Final Forum, sharing student-led perspectives with peers and invited guests.

Roundtables are chaired by members of the Executive Committee but shaped by the delegates themselves. Each topic becomes a lens to examine bilateral issues while encouraging students to think critically about cultural context, policy implications, and possible paths forward.

Technology & Innovation
Leaders: Erik, Yiting

Description: Technology stands at the heart of U.S.–China relations, shaping economies, security, and daily life in both nations. The Technology & Innovation Roundtable invites delegates to examine how emerging technologies drive cooperation and competition, and how innovation can be harnessed for shared benefit. Focusing on issues such as artificial intelligence and digital governance (whichever sub-topics we decide on), delegates will explore opportunities and challenges from both perspectives. By engaging in dialogue and comparative analysis, students will gain insight into the role technology plays in building—or straining—the relationship between our two countries, and consider how their generation can shape a more responsible and collaborative technological future.

Sub-topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity & Digital Governance or Big Data

Rural areas & Environment
Leaders: Liliao, Yiran

This roundtable conference aims to build a cross-cultural dialogue platform from a student perspective. By sharing practical experiences and exchanging ideas, it will explore diverse pathways for rural revitalization across multiple dimensions, including how to unlock the power of youth in rural development, how to achieve a win-win situation between economic benefits and ecological protection, and how to prioritize cultural inheritance amid modern transformation.

 Agriculture and rural areas worldwide are standing at a crossroads of transformation. China and the United States, based on their distinct resource endowments, development models, and cultural backgrounds, have forged unique paths forward. However, both sides face common challenges: how to sustain rural vitality, how to balance economic development with ecological protection, and how to attract young people to return to rural areas.

Sub-topics:

How to unlock the power of youth in rural development;
How to achieve a win-win situation between economic benefits and ecological protection;
How to prioritize cultural inheritance amid modern transformation

Intercultural Communication
Leaders: Yuxuan, Cecil

Alongside its environment and businesses, culture is an important aspect of every society. People from different backgrounds constantly share traditions from their personal lives that allow them to learn more about each other through sincere and mutual communication.

Between China and the United States, not only do cultural differences exist between the two countries, but we can also find differences among the cities and countrysides of each country! In this Roundtable, delegates will compare human cultural customs as a way to express oneself.

By exploring how Chinese and American societies hold onto cultural diversity, delegates can avoid misunderstandings and stereotypes during on-site experiences. Additionally, the cross-cultural connections that we will gradually develop during our conversations offer valuable lessons and friendships that will last beyond the summer.

Delegates will explore how we express our individual and shared customs can be understood as a way to communicate values among  American and Chinese society.

Subtopic 1 (Food): We can learn a lot from the dishes that families eat on special occasions. Recipes carry history that are carried on from ancestors to descendants. In both the United States and in China, unique foods developed from the special circumstances of each environment. For example, many Chinese farmers learned to grow soy and pork before tofu and “stir fry” became staples in Chinatowns around the world. On the other hand, American ranches have delivered millions of cows across the West before changing how we view classics such as steak and  hamburgers. Together, we will learn how culinary connections in both regions hold diverse parts of society together.

Subtopic 2 (Art): Culture is also heavily influenced by the various forms of creative expression such as painting, literature, and poetry. Every individual carries an experience with several unique stories that are related to the place around them. When words cannot explain how someone has lived, Art exists to fill in the gaps and show an image of another person’s life. In China, calligraphy combines visual strokes with traditional images to preserve East Asian ideas of beauty. In the United States, landscape sketches allow Americans to appreciate the natural settings around them and raise awareness of sustainability. Together, delegates will compare how different forms of art can contribute to a rich collection of cultural treasures in 2 countries.

 Sub-topics: Food & Art

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Delegate Experience

Cultural Exchange
Living, eating, and traveling side by side, delegates build friendships across cultures while experiencing China firsthand — from vibrant urban centers to historic landmarks and local traditions.

Daily Life
You’ll attend roundtable sessions, site visits, and guest lectures, all led by your peers and shaped by current global conversations. Expect lively debates, collaborative research, and late-night group discussions that carry on long after formal programming ends.

Housing & Meals

Delegates stay in shared housing in each host city. Meals are provided throughout the program, with efforts made to accommodate dietary needs. An ISC representative travels with the group for the full duration of the conference to provide support and respond in case of emergencies.

World-Class Access
ChASC offers opportunities to meet diplomats, scholars, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Delegates often visit government offices, cultural institutions, and organizations that shape U.S.–China relations.

Academics
ChASC emphasizes dialogue over debate. Roundtables provide space for delegates to share perspectives, explore complex issues together, and learn through collaboration. The Final Forum brings these conversations together in presentations open to peers and guests.

Social Time
Delegates also enjoy informal time together — whether through karaoke nights, food outings, cultural activities, or simple downtime. These shared experiences are often what make ChASC friendships last long after the program ends.

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Meet the Executive Committee

The China-America Student Conference is led entirely by students. Each year, returning delegates from the U.S. and China form a binational Executive Committee (EC) responsible for building the next conference from the ground up.

They design the theme, select sites, recruit delegates, and lead the Roundtables. During the program, ECs serve as mentors, coordinators, and facilitators.

ChASC 5 is brought to life by this year’s dedicated student leaders:

• Li Liao 李嫽, Chinese Chair, Beijing Foreign Studies University
• Erik Larson, American Chair, Indiana University Bloomington
• Yuxuan Liu 刘雨璇, Programming, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
  Cecil Brooks Jr., Treasurer / Fundraising, Georgetown University (Recent Graduate)
• Yiting Yang 杨奕婷, Secretary & Marketing, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
• Yiran Wang 王艺冉, Secretary & Marketing, Zhejiang University

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How to Apply

Eligibility

• Open to undergraduate and graduate students who are 18+ years old at the time of the conference. 
• Must be enrolled at an accredited university either during the application period or in the fall semester after the program concludes. 
• All majors and fields of study are welcome. 
• English proficiency is required (Chinese is not required).

What You’ll Need

• Complete online application
• Resume or CV
• University transcript
• One letter of recommendation
• No application fee required for ChASC 2026

Application

COMING SOON!

Timeline & Process

After you apply, you may be invited to a short virtual interview within two weeks

Final decisions will be announced in mid-to-late January (U.S. delegation) and mid-March (Chinese delegation)

If accepted, you’ll be asked to submit a $500 deposit to confirm your spot

Information Sessions

Join an online info session to learn more about ChASC before you apply:

COMING SOON!

Need Help?

Download the Applicant Packet (Coming Soon) for more details. For questions, email ChASC@iscdc.org or connect with us on Instagram @ChASC_official.

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Cost & Scholarships  

Participation Fee: $3,000

Thanks to our generous supporters, every accepted delegate automatically receives a scholarship of over $3,000 — bringing the participation fee down from $7,000 to $3,000.

Your participation fee covers:

• Housing in each city
• All meals
• All in-country travel and logistics 
• International flights between the U.S. and China. 
• Cultural activities and academic programming 
• International travel and health insurance

What’s not included:

• A non-refundable $500 deposit is required to secure your spot if accepted
• Travel to and from the starting and ending cities
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, snacks, food and beverages beyond provided meals, etc…)

We’re committed to making ChASC 5 financially accessible. Each year, 50-60% of delegates receive full or partial funding through ISC’s Plant a Diplomatic Tree Scholarship, their universities, or from our generous partners. Our Executive Committee is here to support you in securing the resources you need.

Start by visiting our Funding Your Conference page for tips and scholarship opportunities. Still have questions? Reach out to the ISC office at info@iscdc.org or contact the ChASC Executive Committee directly at ChASC@iscdc.org. We’re here to help.