Press Release

Contact: Sheryl Hayes
Sheryl@virginia.edu
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
145 Ednam Drive Charlottesville, VA
22903-4629
Phone:(434)924-3296
Fax: (434)296-4714
For Immediate Release
May 17, 2006

Virginia Delegation to Visit China on Cultural Exchange

In late May, a delegation from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) will travel to China at the invitation of the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC). Their mission is to build relationships and exchanges between China and the United States, focusing specifically on Virginia, says Robert Vaughan, President of the VFH.

Rose Nan–Ping Chen, organizer of the cultural exchange and President of The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding, sees the humanities as central to China’s future development. Born and raised in Taiwan, Chen graduated from the National Taiwan University and the University of Illinois Medical Center. After graduation in 1973, Rose conducted medical research for a number of years, then became a business owner in Richmond, Virginia. As a long time devotee of humanities and arts, religion, and community service, Ms. Chen served on the boards of many non-profits and cultural organizations in the Richmond area.

After September 11, 2001, Ms. Chen founded The Rose Group to fulfill her lifelong commitment to fostering understanding and harmony among different cultures.

Since inception, The Rose Group has initiated and facilitated exchange programs between the top journalism schools in the United States and China, launched The China-America Festival of Film and Culture in Richmond in 2005, and led a six-member American delegation for a successful film exchange program in Beijing and Shanghai.

Chen says, "The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding is committed to fostering better understanding and goodwill between the United States and China through media presentation and exchange. Partnering with other individuals and organizations in both nations, we will sponsor joint projects. With authentic, sincere exchanges of information, these endeavors can generate an appreciation for the cultural differences and find a common ground for true friendship."

In developing the China-America Festival of Film and Culture, The Rose Group received funding from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH). It was this highly successful collaboration that led to the current cultural exchange. Through Chen’s efforts, the China Association for International Friendly Contact invited the VFH delegation to visit the cities of Beijing and Shanghai. They will also travel to Luoyang in Henan Province to gain perspective on life in rural China, where the VFH model may be especially appropriate.

David Bearinger, Director of VFH Public Programs, says that he hopes that "the trip will help to create a well-traveled cultural bridge between China and the United States."

When asked why the specific focus on Sino-Virginia relationships, Andrew Wyndham, Director of VFH Media Programs, responded, "Virginia was founded as an economic colony in 1607; it seems appropriate that Virginia be at the forefront of developing relationships with China, which is having such an enormous impact on the Virginia and US economies. That impact will only grow as China continues to emerge as a world economic and cultural power."

The delegation’s sojourn in China will be recorded in a web blog at the VFH website (www.virginiafoundation.org). In addition to representatives of the Rose Group and the VFH, Christopher Hancock of Fancy Photographic, LLC in Richmond will also be making the trip.

What will the mission accomplish? President Vaughan says, "I believe this trip will be the opening round in an on-going conversation about the role and value of the humanities in a society. When we return, we’ll have a much clearer idea of how to think cross-culturally, to appreciate the diversity in our cultures, and to understand our shared humanity despite different languages, histories and ethnicities. We hope to suggest ways to establish on-going bilateral exchanges, to get a sense of the real people in real life situation, and to build friendships and possible future collaborations."

The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy, based in Charlottesville, is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the humanities, and to using the humanities to address issues of broad public concern.

In all of its programs, the Foundations works to make scholarship accessible; to promote understanding and discussion of enduring and contemporary issues; and to broaden the range of educational opportunities available to all Virginians.

For further information, contact Sheryl Hayes at 434-924-3286 or Sheryl@virginia.edu.