Association of Chinese Students and Scholars welcomes Chinese international students
On Sept. 7, around 200 incoming Chinese international students and scholars attended an orientation hosted by the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Yale.
Zoe Berg, Senior Photographer
On Sept. 7, nearly 200 Chinese students and scholars filed into Becton Center’s Davies Auditorium for an orientation hosted by the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Yale, ACSSY.
The orientation aimed to introduce newcomers to Yale’s academic and cultural community. It followed similar events and local outreach efforts held in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, which collectively attracted around 300 incoming Chinese international graduate and undergraduate students, according to Peng Xu GRD ’30, a first-year neuroscience graduate student and the president of ACSSY.
“Our orientation is designed to help incoming students integrate into the Yale environment,” Xu told the News. “We provide information about available resources, facilitate networking opportunities and offer support through various ACSSY departments.”
Founded in the 1980s, ACSSY has grown to become one of Yale’s largest Chinese cultural organizations, with around 2,500 past and current members.
Xu told the News that the organization’s mission is to support and promote the Chinese cultural community at Yale, remaining non-political and non-profit. The event hosted speakers including the Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis, Director of the Office of International Students and Scholars Ozan Say and President-Elect of the Asian Faculty Association Yongli Zhang.
Zhang, also a professor of cell biology, molecular biophysics and biochemistry, told the News that speaking at this annual event meant “a lot to him.”
“In my speech, I wanted to convey my positive experiences as a former Yale graduate student and now as a mentor,” Zhang said. “My graduate training at Yale was transformative, and I think that this was especially important to talk about because most of the students at orientation were graduate students interested in the sciences.”
The orientation showcased a variety of resources available to ease the cultural transition for Chinese international students at Yale, especially with regard to forming strong social networks in a new country.
Emma Zheng SOM ’26, a first year in the Yale School of Management pursuing her MBA, told the News that she is still adjusting to American culture.
“In my previous years in China, I didn’t attend any parties as a student,” Zheng said. “However, at Yale, I’ve realized that many social events take place late at night, and it can be difficult to immerse myself in social life with classmates because of this.”
Zheng added that she hopes evening social events with ACSSY can help her navigate new social opportunities in a comfortable environment and cast a wide social net. After attending mixers with other Chinese scholars in the evening during orientation week, Zheng told the News she is working to bridge that gap.
Jasmine Xu SPH ’26, a first-year graduate student pursuing her master’s in the Social and Behavioral Sciences department, is also looking for professional connections. Networking opportunities at the ACSSY orientation, she said, provided her with “many useful suggestions for [her] future.”
The orientation also addressed broader difficulties faced by Chinese international students, particularly in light of recent geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China.
“With COVID these past few years and Trump-era policies, I think that Chinese students are highly susceptible to policy changes,” Zhang said.
Zhang told the News that recently at least six graduate students were detained at an airport due to visa issues and two were deported back to China. The News was unable to independently verify these claims.
Xu told the News that while ACSSY does not receive University funding, it continues to serve as a bridge between students and relevant immigration organizations and institutions to address issues as they arise. ACSSY also plans to support students through various programming this year. Upcoming events include a pop-up event featuring a Chinese Mongolian music band, a major U.S.-China summit and a February event in celebration of the Chinese New Year.
The orientation was held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.