Julia Chang Bloch
Encyclopedia
Julia Chang Bloch was an American
diplomat, and the first U.S. ambassador
of Asian origin
. She is also the founder and current president of the US-China Education Trust
.
), Shandong Province, China
, and moved to the United States when she was nine. She earned a master's degree
in government and East Asia
studies from Harvard University
, and entered the civil service
. From 1971 she served as a staffer for the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs
, and thereafter in a number of other roles, including administering a food-aid program. She was appointed ambassador to Nepal
by President George H. W. Bush
in 1989, and served until 1993. In 1993 Bloch left the public sector to become Group Executive Vice President at Bank of America
, where she created the Corporate Relations Department, heading the bank’s Public Relations, Government Affairs, and Public Policy operations.
. The foundation currently offers scholarships to Chinese students to study at Harvard Law.
From 1996-1998 Bloch served as President and CEO of the United States-Japan Foundation. In 1998 Bloch turned her energies back toward China, first serving for a year as a Visiting Professor at the Institute for International Relations of the American Studies Center at Peking University
. At this time Bloch became an advocate for expanding academic collaborations between Chinese and American universities, and in particular for expanding the role of American Studies
programs on Chinese university campuses, and simultaneously served as Executive Vice Chairman of Peking University's American Studies Center.
Soon after she founded the US-China Education Trust
, an educational non-profit which sponsors education and exchange programs for Chinese and American students and scholars. The nonprofit held its first collaborative program, an academic workshop on the US Congress, at Fudan University
in 2001. Bloch currently serves as President of the US-China Education Trust
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat, and the first U.S. ambassador
Ambassadors from the United States
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
of Asian origin
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
. She is also the founder and current president of the US-China Education Trust
US-China Education Trust
The US-China Education Trust is a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, the first Chinese-American U.S. Ambassador, USCET seeks to promote US-China relations through a series of education and exchange programs...
.
Life and Political Career
Chang Bloch was born in Chefoo (now YantaiYantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
), Shandong Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and moved to the United States when she was nine. She earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in government and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
studies from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and entered the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. From 1971 she served as a staffer for the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs
United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs
The United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was a select committee of the United States Senate between 1968 and 1977. It was sometimes referred to as the McGovern committee, after its only chairperson, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.-Formation and members:The...
, and thereafter in a number of other roles, including administering a food-aid program. She was appointed ambassador to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
by President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
in 1989, and served until 1993. In 1993 Bloch left the public sector to become Group Executive Vice President at Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, where she created the Corporate Relations Department, heading the bank’s Public Relations, Government Affairs, and Public Policy operations.
Philanthropy and Education Work
During her career Bloch has engaged in a variety of non-profit educational endeavors, the majority of which seek to promote educational and cultural exchange between the United States and China. In 1988, she and her husband Stuart Marshall Bloch established the F.Y. Chang Foundation in honor of Bloch’s father, Chang Fuyun, the first Chinese national to graduate from Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. The foundation currently offers scholarships to Chinese students to study at Harvard Law.
From 1996-1998 Bloch served as President and CEO of the United States-Japan Foundation. In 1998 Bloch turned her energies back toward China, first serving for a year as a Visiting Professor at the Institute for International Relations of the American Studies Center at Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
. At this time Bloch became an advocate for expanding academic collaborations between Chinese and American universities, and in particular for expanding the role of American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
programs on Chinese university campuses, and simultaneously served as Executive Vice Chairman of Peking University's American Studies Center.
Soon after she founded the US-China Education Trust
US-China Education Trust
The US-China Education Trust is a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, the first Chinese-American U.S. Ambassador, USCET seeks to promote US-China relations through a series of education and exchange programs...
, an educational non-profit which sponsors education and exchange programs for Chinese and American students and scholars. The nonprofit held its first collaborative program, an academic workshop on the US Congress, at Fudan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
in 2001. Bloch currently serves as President of the US-China Education Trust
US-China Education Trust
The US-China Education Trust is a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, the first Chinese-American U.S. Ambassador, USCET seeks to promote US-China relations through a series of education and exchange programs...
.