Student exchanges between Canada and China remain a critical mechanism for both countries

TORONTO—I recently returned from a trip to China, where I co-taught a University of Toronto course with colleagues from Fudan University in Shanghai, one of the world’s most energetic, creative, and entrepreneurial cities. I have been teaching this course for more than 10 years, and it remains one of the most inspiring things I do as a professor. The course is unique in that University of Toronto students learn with and from Fudan students and faculty. Through this experience, young people—from China, Canada, and other parts of the world—gain a better understanding of their peers, their backgrounds and their often quite different points of view. As a political scientist, I was, not unexpectedly, bombarded with questions about the ongoing diplomatic disagreements between our two countries. I expressed concerns about the prominent cases of two Canadians jailed in China, which many in our country interpret as a retaliatory measure taken by the Chinese government. Clearly, tensions are running high. I also explained to my colleagues and friends that in Canada, perhaps unlike in China, university professors are not involved in the affairs of government. This does not mean, however, that universities have no role to play in the wake of government decisions. Universities are important conduits for continued engagement and importantly ones that do not have to mix with our countries’ diplomatic and political (and politicized) affairs. At the University of Toronto, we educate about 90,000 students and have more than 14,000 faculty members engaged in research in all disciplines in Canada and around the world, including China. The university remains committed to our business and education partnerships in China, to deepening research collaboration with faculty members at China’s world-class universities, and to creating pathways for our students to study and conduct research in China. We continue to welcome our Chinese colleagues and students. Keeping our doors open, rather than shutting them to China, makes sense for a global university. While the students enrolled in the Fudan course are taught in English, much of the after-class chatter is in Mandarin, as students learn how to compromise and negotiate their differences. They hang out together. They become friends. They appreciate how they too have many identities, that the world is not so black and white, not so binary. In one seminar, they learn about climate change, from a global perspective as well as from a distinctly Chinese point of view. The course requires students to do field work in Shanghai on everything from the commercial history of China’s largest and most international city to the story of Jewish migration to the role of English language media in Shanghai. They gain insights into the city’s modern-day culture including the vibrant arts scene, street food, and Shanghai’s vivid cosmopolitanism. Through site visits with leading technology firms to Canada’s consulate, the students get a broad perspective on the rise of China and its implications for Canada and the world. Several University of Toronto students from that course have gone on to pursue graduate studies in China, to improve their Chinese language skills, and to launch careers there in academia and in the tech sector. Students who are globally minded are more likely to learn the diplomatic skills necessary to address disputes between nations. Continuing to engage China reiterates Canada’s enduring friendship with our Chinese counterparts. We look to deepen, not stunt, inter-cultural learning so that we gain a better understanding of one another. Universities are training and preparing future global leaders, after all. When universities continue to work with China, we are reminded that in spite of our differences, we also share similar goals—trade diversification, climate change, preparing for our aging societies, and reducing global poverty. Diplomatic spats will eventually come to an end. In the meantime, student exchanges between Canada and China remain a critical mechanism for both countries to discuss and debate with each other, on occasion disagree, and almost always learn from one another. Joseph Wong is a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and in the department of political science, University of Toronto. He is also associate vice-president and vice-provost, international student experience. The Hill Times