On the morning of July 25th, accompanied by Cao Hui, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, a delegation led by Adam Foster, President of the Helen Foster Snow Foundation of the United States, paid a visit to NWU. The delegation engaged in discussions at the School of Foreign Languages, followed by a visit to the Helen Snow thematic exhibition. A memorial event was also held in front of the China-US Friendship Monument on the Chang’an campus of NWU.
In commemoration of the American journalist Helen Foster Snow, who objectively reported on the just cause of the Chinese people during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Helen Foster Snow Foundation was established in 2019, with her great-nephew Adam Foster serving as its President. In 2016, the Shaanxi Snow Research Center was located at Northwest university under the auspices of the School of Foreign Languages. Together, we co-hosted the “Dual Sentiments Towards Two Snows: An International Symposium” which invited descendants of Helen Foster Snow to participate and visit places such as Yan’an, Zhidan, and Liangjiahe. Through his in-depth visits to places like Yan’an, Adam Foster deeply experienced the admirable qualities of the Chinese people and the historical origins of China-US friendship. Subsequently, he was motivated to carry on the family legacy by establishing the foundation, aiming to continue bridging understanding and mutual trust between the Chinese and American peoples.
To strengthen the research on the spirit of Snow, NWU has established the Snow Center Office and Snow Reading Room, providing convenience in terms of space and resources for Snow-related research. Simultaneously, great emphasis has been placed on the promotion of Snow studies and teaching. In recent years, multiple Snow and international relations symposiums have been convened, the Helen Foster Snow Translation Award competition has been organized, four Helen Foster Snow visiting scholars have been dispatched, an online course titled “International Friends in China” has been developed, the Helen Foster Snow English Drama Festival has been initiated, a Red Memory Interpretation Team has been formed, various forms of educational and research activities, including international visitor social surveys, translation and publication, and thematic exhibitions, have been carried out. Multiple approaches have been taken to inherit the spirit of Helen Foster Snow.
