Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.
– Isaac Newton

When I pass through the street in the early morning and watch children bullying the chubby kid I am forced to remind myself how much trouble even the smallest differences might cause. The history is full of evidence of how cruel and blind human beings can be to those who are different. The wars we had in the name of religion, the injustice we brought upon each other because of different gender, skin colour, beliefs. People naturally seem to hold in higher esteem those who are alike than those who are different. And look how much suffering this has caused.

Today the world is facing something it has never faced before.  Globalisation. The US crisis in 2008 showed how interdependent we are economically. The world is one yet not united. I am sure there will be many obstacles to overcome the issues which cultural differences will bring. Therefore, it has never been so important to understand one another as it is now.

Today InternChina is hosting 16 students from the UK who all are part of the new Study China Programme. It is a new UK government funded project which allows students from all the UK universities experience life in China. For two weeks the students will be staying in Chinese families, taking language classes and working in Chinese companies. This is one small but important step forward in understanding one another better and our team is very happy to be a part of it. After all, it isn’t your hotel window through which you learn about the country and the mentality of its people.

My best wishes,

Beata