ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a profound exploration of the pivotal role played by Chinese immigrant scholars in facilitating US-PRC scientific and educational exchanges during the Cold War. It explains how these scholars, originally intended as temporary visitors to the United States, unexpectedly became integral components of American universities during the Cold War. They not only contributed significantly to American understanding of China in the 1950s and 1960s but also played an important role in facilitating the resumption of cultural contacts between the United States and China in the 1970s. By scrutinizing the experiences of over a thousand Chinese scholars and placing them within the context of sustained US-China cultural exchanges, this chapter provides a nuanced comprehension of educational internationalism during the Cold War. It exposes the historical roots of Cold War internationalism, stressing that American Cold War internationalism, particularly in the context of Sino-American educational exchanges, was not strictly confined to the era’s bipolar power dynamics. Instead, it incorporated Chinese “voices” and perspectives, offering a more intricate understanding of internationalism that emerged during this turbulent geopolitical period.
