On June 20, FUSIA/CCIP J-1 interns (www.fusia.net) spent the day learning about the government of the United States. CCIP partners with universities in East Asia to provide New York City internships to foreign students so they can gain real world experience and share in a cultural exchange.
The first stop for the exchange visitors was the United Nations Headquarters, located on an 18-acre stretch of land along the East River which has been declared international territory and belongs to the 193 member states of the organization. The group was given a tour and met with international leaders who helped explain the role of the UN and the complexities of international politics.
Julian, from Nanyang Technological University, remarked, "The United Nations is such a big venue. It's good to hear about the work being done to try to bring people together and help those in need. It is important to consider ourselves as global citizens."
For a portion of the group, their UN visit was followed by a trip to the office of United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Senator Gillibrand has represented the state of New York since 2009 and, in 2014, was selected for Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people. At the senator's office, the exchange visitors learned about daily operations and challenges, as well as the key responsibilities of a US senator.
The final stop for the group of exchange visitors was the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office located in Midtown. One of 11 HKETO locations outside of the Greater China Region, the New York office exists to support Hong Kong's economic and political interests in the United States. The visit gave the exchange visitors insight into how Hong Kong effectively serves as a gateway between China and the United States.
"Understanding how different governments function and interact with each other is vital," one of the student leaders stated. "The world economy has no borders so everything we learned today will help me in my future career."
