On June 13, 2021, a group of about 40 graduating College students and their families from mainland China participated in a Convocation celebration at the University of Chicago Center in Beijing. Organized by the students with logistics coordinated by the Center, the students were able to watch the Convocation and Class Day videos together, take photos with University backdrops, and celebrate their achievements with their classmates. Sophie Shi, BA’21, shared, “The event was such a success; Parents and students all had a great time and were very happy! Thanks to the Center in Beijing for their consistent support throughout the pandemic.”
UChicago Global also ensured that all Convocation videos were made accessible for graduates and their families located in China via the Center in Beijing's WeChat/Weibo account (芝加哥大学北京中心 (uchicago_cib)). As of June 30, the videos have been viewed nearly 13,000 times.
Over the course of the pandemic, the Center in Beijing has served as a home base and study space for local undergraduate and graduate students, and hosted several in-person activities thanks to the improved public health situation in the area. These activities have included a welcome event for parents of incoming College students, a series of cultural site visits for locally-based undergraduates organized by Study Abroad, and access for students to participate together in remote "math camps" prior to the start of their graduate programs. The Center's dedicated staff have found countless creative ways to extend the UChicago campus experience to China over the past two academic years and will continue to serve as a resource for students, parents, alumni, and the broader community.