St. Norbert College student, Yitian Na, participates in environmental policy conference in Strasbourg, France

From BCA Study Abroad, March 29, 2011
by Julie Larison, jlarison@bcaabroad.org, (717) 361-6620

St. Norbert College student Yitian Na was among over 50 students and speakers from North America and Europe who gathered recently for a three-day conference in Strasbourg, France, to discuss differences in U.S. and European environmental policy. Na is studying with BCA in Marburg, Germany, and was awarded a BCA fellowship to attend the conference.

Na joined students from Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey, and other American students from 20 U.S. colleges and universities studying abroad in England, France, Germany, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Spain in the 8th Annual European -- US student conference organized by BCA. The conference is co-sponsored by the Foundation for International Education, the University of Strasbourg and AEGEE-the European Students' Forum.

Speakers, who came from several European countries including England, France, Germany, Ireland, and the US, provided students with the current state of environmental policy in the initial part of the conference. In the second half, students from Beyond Europe, the flagship project of AEGEE, facilitated and helped to organize student sessions so that they could further explore their own perspectives and questions about these issues.

The Opening Plenary Lecture in the Palais Universitaire of the University of Strasbourg was given by career U.S. diplomat Vincent Carter, the United States Consul General in Strasbourg, on the topic "The U.S. and the EU -- Indispensable Partners."

Additional sessions included presentations by the editor of China Dialogue and BBC presenter, Isabel Hilton, on "Global Environmental Issues: The View from Europe, the United States, and China," and Professor Peter Schulze of Georg August University G