U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou Officers Visit Wuhan to Help Promote Public Diplomacy
September 18-19, 2009: Three first-tour Consulate General Guangzhou officers, Arturo Hines, Shawntae White, and Sandrine Goffard visited Wuhan to consult Consul General Wendy Lyle on public diplomacy outreach efforts in Wuhan. Escorted by Consul General Lyle, the officers met Acting Director of Hubei Provincial Museum Wan Quanwen and enjoyed a guided tour of the museum’s world-renowned bronze collection unearthed from the Zenghouyi Tomb, which dates from the Warring States Period (476 -221 BC). As part of Consulate General Wuhan’s public diplomacy effort, the museum received a grant from the 2008 U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to help build a new exhibition hall for its ancient silk embroidery collection.
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Left: Shawntae White (left), Arturo Hines (center), Sandrine Goffard (right)
and Consul General Lyle at Hubei Provincial Museum |
Escorted by Consul General Lyle, the officers also visited Wuhan University, one of the top 10 universities in China. They were given a guided tour of the Law School and its library and computer center by Vice Dean Qin Tianbao, who also gave an introduction to the law school. The officers joined a dozen faculty members from the Journalism School, Department of Foreign Studies, and Department of International Relations, who eagerly engaged the officers to discuss a wide range of issues including cross cultural experiences, consular issues, food safety and quality control, and how to establish university linkages to enhance the studies of environmental law. Wuhan University has worked closely with Consul General Lyle on rule of law and press freedom and social responsibility issues. The university is a regular recipient of U.S. grants for leadership training and research projects. It sponsors U.S. Fulbright scholars to teach in its law school. In 2008, the university’s Law School and School of Journalism and Communication worked closely with Consul General Lyle to win two grants to teach the U.S. legal system and American journalism.
Visiting Consulate General Guangzhou officers and Consul General Lyle shared fun time with Wuhan University faculty members The officers spent their second day touring Wuhan accompanied by three students from Jianghan University, and shared the evening with Brian DeChant, the General Manager of Wuhan Jinjiang Hotel, and Grace Gao of AmCham Central China, to better understand the business side of Wuhan and how the Consulate works with the business sector.
