Bridgewater Review

Volume 37 | Issue 1 Article 8

Apr-2018 Pursuing My Chinese and American Dreams: Studying Abroad and Returning Home Chien Wen Yu Bridgewater State University, [email protected]

Recommended Citation Yu, Chien Wen (2018). Pursuing My Chinese and American Dreams: Studying Abroad and Returning Home. Bridgewater Review, 37(1), 22-25. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol37/iss1/8

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. too, had not heard of it or believed it Pursuing my Chinese and American until I applied for a scholarship from Davidson College in North Carolina. I Dreams: Studying Abroad and still remember the day in summer 1981 when my college classmate and room­ Returning Home mate Wang Yang ran up to me with an admission telegram in his hand and Chien Wen Yu yelled out loud: “You got admitted to tudying abroad was the admirable pursuit Davidson College. Heck, you even got offered a full scholarship.” Just getting and dream of Chinese students and young back to campus from a summer English people in the 1980s. Returning to China years tour-guide assignment, I could not S believe my eyes and ears. I grabbed the later, reminiscing in their original homeland, and telegram to read it again and again, at contributing to their country’s development is their least 20 times. I felt I was the happiest hope, as well. person in the world, and did not sleep a wink that night. Davidson College Back in 1981, I decided to fulfill these power in the world after the U.S. Back is among the top liberal arts colleges ambitions myself. In December 1977, I in 1978, scientists and engineers from in the United States. In the past three took the college entrance exam, which research institutes and universities in years, it has become better known in was held in major cities throughout Zhongguancun followed the call of the United States as well as in China in China for the first time since the the China Science Congress initiated because of NBA star Stephen Curry, Cultural Revolution. The exam was by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who studied and started his basketball open to anyone regardless of age and and started their privately owned career there. education background, and in March businesses. This phenomenon, dur­ 1978, I was admitted to Beijing Foreign ing which Zhongguancun Electronic Despite the good news of a full schol­ Studies University in the “Class of ’77,” Products Street was being formed in the arship, I was confronted with a seri­ one of the first groups of Chinese col­ 1980s, was called “Going to Sea.” In ous problem of purchasing my air­ lege students to pass through the exam 2009, Zhongguancun Science Park was plane ticket to the United States. My system. In November 1981, after gradu­ officially approved by the China State father’s monthly salary in 1981 was 89 ation from Beijing Foreign Studies Council and strategically positioned RMB ($52 at 1981 exchange rate of University, I came to the United States as China’s First National Innovation $1.00=1.70 RMB) and my mother’s with the first group of Chinese college Demonstration Zone. After almost salary was 49 RMB ($28). This income graduates studying abroad to pursue my 20 years, Zhongguancun National was average for Chinese families, and American dream. Innovation Demonstration Zone has sufficient to support a family. However, expanded in size to 88 square kilom­ there was little savings left after food Nearly 40 years later, in December eters and 16 parks in Greater Beijing. It and utilities. The airplane ticket cost 2017, I returned to China as a member is currently ranked as the second largest around 9,900 RMB ($5,823), which of the 2017 Winter Overseas Talents entrepreneurship and innovation hub was an enormous figure for any family Delegation to Zhongguancun. The in the world after Silicon Valley. These in China. My parents were trying to host organizations welcomed our economic and technology changes in borrow money from family and friends, return to China to participate in a China are astonishing and the material but nobody had that kind of money, marketing and recruiting event in and structural contrasts between the let alone the ability to lend it to other Zhongguancun Science Park—in their United States and China are becoming people. Even my close relatives refused words, to experience the great mass smaller and smaller. to pitch in. My parents were upset with fervor of entrepreneurship/innovation our relatives and even more desperate and Chinese dreams. A Red China Student for ticket money. Out of despair came The 40 years I have lived in China Pursuing an a smart idea from my father, an editor and the United States span China’s American Dream by profession. With a book contract in Opening and Economic Reform. hand, my father asked his publisher for In 1981, the concept of studying China has rapidly developed from an a cash advance on his book royalties and abroad while being funded by a foreign agrarian to an industrial economy. used it to pay for the ticket. It seemed university scholarship was incom­ The country I grew up in has now like a miracle that he could persuade prehensible to Chinese students. I, become the second-largest economic the publisher to advance the money.

22 Bridgewater Review That was my life-changing ticket to the seemed to disappear into thin air. United States. Unable to figure out the direction signs, I was left alone and lost in this for­ Before leaving for the United States, I eign land. No airline representative or rode my bicycle around Beijing doing flight attendant was present to assist or errands in preparation for my trip. direct me for the transit flight to North I passed through Zhongguancun of Carolina. Gazing around for help, I saw Haidian District where my univer­ a Chinese-looking airport employee sity was located. Everything was slow standing behind a kiosk and approached there. There wasn’t much to see except her as if she were my savior and coun­ a cluster of university campuses and a try folk: “Comrade, could you tell me lot of farmland. Beijing was nothing where to go for the flight to Charlotte, compared to cities like Washington North Carolina?” She stared at me D.C. or New York, which I had seen with no sincerity in the least and said Author Chien Wen Yu at Davidson College, in movies and read about in books. My impersonally: “We don’t say ‘Comrade’ 1981 (Photo crdit: Anderson Scott, hopes for study at Davidson were high here, we say ‘Miss’ or ‘Mister.’ If you go The Davidsonian). and my dreams for life in the United to the domestic terminal, you will find States were big. whole campus for volunteers to room your boarding gate.” I was disappointed with me, a new student coming from In November 1981, I took my first with her curt and vague answer. But “Red China.” Tony volunteered to be international flight to the United States in the evening I got on the flight to my roommate and wanted to help me and tasted airplane food, consisting of North Carolina and arrived late at the because of his grandfather’s influence cold sandwiches with cold drinks. I Charlotte airport only to find that my and stories as a medical missionary to was used to our Asian lifestyle of warm luggage had gone missing during transit Zhejiang, China in 1930s and 1940s. cuisines and beverages served hot. The and my pick-up person was nowhere to To this day, we have been good friends airplane landed in San Francisco after be seen in the luggage area. for 37 years. Still, my American life had 12 long and sleepless hours in the air. I was told I was the first Chinese a difficult beginning and I wrote an Getting off the plane, I followed the student at Davidson College and one article for the Davidsonian student news­ crowd of American and foreign pas­ of the first five Chinese exchange paper about my experiences. The black- sengers to the customs terminal. As students around the city of Charlotte. and-white photo above is the same one soon as we walked out the exit door, all According to my college roommate, taken for the article. the American and foreign passengers Tony Dick, the Dean sent a letter to the Despite a tough beginning and some twists and turns later, my life in America has been going in the right In December 2017, 140 successful direction step by step. In three and a half years, I finished Davidson College professionals and entrepreneurs and went on to graduate management studies at Wake Forest University in from the United States, Canada, North Carolina. My first professional career started in the North Carolina Great Britain, Japan and other Department of Commerce as inter­ national trade specialist for Asia and countries gathered in the Latin America under Governor James International Conference Center Martin, a former Davidson College professor. Following the state and of Zhongguancun Z-Park. We public service, my second career was in private industry in the capac­ shared overseas entrepreneurial ity of international sales manager for the Ashland Chemical Company experiences and discussed and export manager for the Bobcat Company. Teaching as a management potential innovative projects and professor and coordinator of the Asian Studies Program at Bridgewater State cooperation with partners. University in Massachusetts is my third,

April 2018 23 present, and final stage of my career. It and innovation hub in the world in the The advantages of the Zhongguancun is also my most enjoyable and favorite next 5-10 years? entrepreneurship and innovation one. I feel fortunate to have realized ecosystem are characterized by the part of my American dream, thanks to Zhongguancun: A Fertile number of top universities, research the kind help and generous support of Land of Entrepreneurship institutes and incubators located my colleagues, friends, and families, and Innovation there. There are 41 top universities especially Davidson College classmates (like Tsinghua University, Peking In December 2017, 140 successful pro­ Tony Dick and Sarah Patterson. The University, and Renmin University), fessionals and entrepreneurs from the Pattersons became my American 206 national academies and institutes United States, Canada, Great Britain, host family. (like China Academy of Science and Japan and other countries gathered in China Academy of Engineering), 122 Since those early days, I have trave­ the International Conference Center national-level labs and research insti­ led to China many times for busi­ of Zhongguancun Z-Park. We shared tutes, and 60 university and returned- ness and pleasure, however, the 2017 overseas entrepreneurial experiences overseas-student science parks. There Winter Overseas Talents Delegation to and discussed potential innovative are also 97 startup incubators and accel­ Zhongguancun was special, reward­ projects and cooperation with part­ erators that claim partnerships with ing, and challenging for four reasons. ners. According to the report and firms such as Microsoft, ARM, Plug & First, it was my first time to return to statistics compiled by Zhongguancun Play, and Trendline. Zhongguancun Science Park on an Development Group, since January official visit as an expatriate Chinese 2001, Zhongguancun has organ­ Our 2017 Winter Overseas Talents and to see with my own eyes the great ized similar activities and delegations, Delegation was divided into three changes that had taken place after many attracting overseas professionals to groups based on profession: an elec­ years of studying and working abroad. China to establish startup companies tronic information group, a bio-tech Secondly, I returned home to see my in the Science Park. A number of high- and pharmaceutical group, and a aging mom, and sick dad in a nursing tech companies have successfully comprehensive group. The electronic home, who worked hard for me all found their homes in Zhongguancun information group visited IBM, their lives. Thirdly, being both a man­ and include 65 “unicorn” firms such China Academy of Science, TusStar agement professor and entrepreneur is as Lenovo, Baidu, Tencent, Xiaomi, Incubator, and Zhongguancun IC challenging but possible. I would like to 163.com, Meituan-Dianping, Didi- Park. The bio-tech and pharmaceu­ have an entrepreneurial business oppor­ Kuaidi, Sina.net, and Netease. (A uni­ tical group toured Zhongguancun tunity as part of my American and corn firm is any tech startup company Life Science Park, Zhonggauncun Chinese dreams. Finally, entrepreneur­ that reaches a $1 billion USD market Life Science Research Institute, ship and innovation are major teaching value through private or public invest­ National Protein Science Center, and topics and research interests for busi­ ment). These companies represent half Zhongguancun Medical Equipment ness professors. I would like to study of the Chinese unicorn firms, three of Park. The comprehensive group the entrepreneurship and innovation which exceed $10 billion USD in esti­ visited the Science and Technology ecosystem of Zhongguancun and find mated value. In terms of their number Park of Renmin University of China, out an answer to my own question: will and size, Chinese unicorn firms are Zhongguancun Lingchuang Space, Zhonggauncum surpass Silicon Valley second only to those in Silicon Valley. Zhongguancun Lingchuang Financial, as the number one entrepreneurship and Zhongguancun Fangshan Park. The size of the $10.8 USD-billion science park investment is impres­ sive. Twelve out of Zhonguancun’s 16 “Parks” have been built in a two-mil­ lion-square meter, high-end working space. There are currently more than 37,000 foreign citizens and Chinese with overseas experience working in Zhongguancun, including 1,188 overseas Chinese scientists recruited by the government’s “Thousand Elite” project. The Science Park has numer­ 2017 Winter Overseas Talents Delegation visiting Zhongguancun Science Park (Author’s collection). ous cooperation projects with 20 cities

24 Bridgewater Review Chien Wen Yu riding an Ofo shared bike in and regions in China. Internationally, In recent years, a number of Chinese Beijing (Author’s collection). the Science Park has established technological inventions have been Zhongguancun-Germany Sci-Tec making their moves in the world. heroic entrepreneurs and a bottom-up Innovation Center and Zhongguancun Among them, four stand out with a approach. The private capitalist system Silicon Valley Innovation Center. Soon, reputation of China’s “great new inven­ stimulates bottom-up initiatives from Zhongguancun Boston Innovation tions,” making the daily lives of citizens universities and university spin-offs. Hub will open too. more convenient: dock-less shared Which Triple Helix Model is more bicycles, high-speed rail, Alipay, and One of the last events of the trip was effective? It depends on the cultural and e-commerce. During the trip, I wit­ the Introduction and Marketing Event business environment of each country. nessed the convenience of the four great of Products and Projects of Overseas With the “Mass Entrepreneurship and new inventions and personally experi­ Enterprises. Fifty overseas student Innovation” campaign launched by the enced riding on the Ofo shared bikes startup companies presented their prod­ Chinese government, Zhongguancun in Beijing. Reminding me of my bike ucts in a road show: nine of these were Science Park is catching up quickly rides of 40 years ago, I fell in love with members of the 2017 Winter Overseas and likely to be number one in size, these colorful bikes that are accessible Talents Delegation. A panel of entre­ entrepreneurship, and innovation in the anywhere and almost free of charge. preneurs and venture capitalists shared world. Silicon Valley has been number comments on the projects and selected The success of the new inventions stems one in basic science research and inno­ the winners. Eighty-five angel and from their unique business models vative products with a long history and venture-capital firms participated in the and the Chinese entrepreneurship and vision; however, it lacks the robust gov­ event, looking for investment opportu­ innovation ecosystem, as well as the ernment support and massive financial/ nities. Zhongguancun represents 40% Triple Helix Model of University- human resource inputs of the Chinese. of the Chinese angel and early equity Industry-Government interaction. Having lived in China and the U.S., investments and 75% of newly listed In accordance with the Triple Helix I cannot predict with certainty what firms funded by venture capital/pri­ Model, Zhongguancun is not a pure will happen in the next 5-10 years. But vate equity in China. Zhongguancun Statist Triple Helix, but an improved I am eager to see how it develops and Development Group (ZDG), a semi- Statist Triple Helix in which govern­ to keep pursuing both my Chinese and government organization, has invested ment dominates other spheres with top- American dreams. more than $4.2 billion USD in 1,553 down bureaucratic co-ordination. It has projects. The output of the invested a large-project mentality while indus­ firms is more than $28.5 billion USD. try encourages national champions. ZDG is involved in 97 funds with a Universities have become the teach­ total fund size of $10 billion USD. ing and research providers under the government. Silicon Valley is a Laissez- Four Great Inventions Faire Triple Helix. Universities are of Ancient China and the basic research and human resource Modern China providers and for industry, firms are linked by markets. The government is Papermaking, gunpowder, printing, limited to addressing market failures. Chien Wen Yu is Associate Professor and the compass are four world-chang­ It is an individualistic mentality with of Management in the Ricciardi School ing inventions by ancient Chinese. of Business.

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