Had she never taken a tour of some universities in the US this summer, Chinese student Yan Zihui might have continued to believe that American college life was all about parties, drinking, drugs and unbridled freedom.

"In fact I saw a lot of American students really involved in their studies, which is completely not what is perceived by Chinese students given the influence of American movies and television," said the senior student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Yan was one of the 10 students from China and the US who recently staged a dialogue discussing campus life and bilateral relations for an event at New York University (NYU) Shanghai. Themed "How much do we know about each other," the dialogue discussed numerous topics, as well as some stereotypes, that Chinese and American students are most curious about each other.

Chancellor of NYU Shanghai Yu Lizhong said there are certain stereotypes that American and Chinese students have toward each other. The chancellor recalled that upon the opening of his school - the first Sino-US joint venture university - he was approached by American students expressing their concerns that Chinese students could study so hard that it would mean lots of pressure for them.

"They said they don't like this type of atmosphere. And they're afraid that they might not be able to catch up with their Chinese classmates," said Chancellor Yu, who added that Chinese students were just as worried, expressing that American students have the advantage of being native English speakers and being able to adapt more easily to new cultures and new ways of learning.

"It's good for both of you to know your advantages and disadvantages. And through frequent exchanges, people might see they have more common grounds than they had realized and people have individual characteristics rather than just one stereotype," said Yu.

Do what you want

One of the subjects that Chinese students showed the most interest in during the dialogue was whether their American counterparts knew why they attend college, which for students in China remains a gray area of their education.

"I have to go to college. This was what I learned from my parents when I was small. They assured me if I have a college diploma, I can find a good job easier," said Liu Lingyi, a sophomore at NYU Shanghai, in front of an audience of nearly 300, echoing the pressure that many Chinese students feel from their parents who expect only the best from them.

However, Zoe Jordan, an American attending NYU Shanghai, said that despite what Chinese students might imagine, American students are just as unsure about themselves and their futures ahead of their university years. "Not every American student has that clearly in mind. College is where one can explore what they want to do and what they are good at."

The American and Chinese students also shared their respective views on social and romantic relationships on campus. When asked by a Chinese student if American students would consider him a weirdo if he didn't date in college, Jeffrey Chen, an American student at Fudan University, responded "I would just say, why do you care if other people think you are weird? Do what you want!"

As was also discussed at the event, some young Americans are required to become financially independent from their families even before they arrive in college. When asked by their Chinese counterparts during the dialogue how they can afford a car or an apartment, the American panelists pointed out that having a part-time job is very common in the US starting in high school.

However, while very few Chinese high school students have part-time jobs (or the pressure of being financially independent), the Chinese panelists said that any students here who do work while attending college is often for more pragmatic reasons, such as interning or establishing guanxi (special relationships) with business insiders.

"You know it's not easy for young people to find a good job or to have career development in Shanghai, because you need to be very competitive. So you need to do internships and you need to have good relations," said Zhang Weilun, a student at NYU Shanghai.

See for yourself

The event, organized by China Radio International, a State-owned international radio broadcaster that surveyed online nearly 500 Chinese and American students on their impressions of each other in preparation for the dialogue, took place just ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the US this week.

Public Affairs Section Chief at US Consulate General in Shanghai, Brian Gibel, stressed that academic exchanges are the dynamic force for positive transformation as they build mutual understanding. "I think the dialogue was a good example of how important it is for Chinese and Americans to come together on a people-to-people level, not just government-to-government. You have to go and see for yourself to really understand what a country is like."

Gibel noted that currently 275,000 Chinese are studying in the United States, more than twice as many as Indian students, who are second on the list. He also observed that through programs like Fulbright (a program of highly competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange), and President Barack Obama's "100,000 Strong" initiative, the numbers and diversity of Americans who are coming to China has also seen an unprecedented increase.

"These programs are building up the bonds between the people and the ties between our countries," Gibel commented.

Shen Dingli, associate dean at the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University, told students at the event that the more people travel or read, the more humble they will become.

"It's important to change the way of thinking by not assuming everything mine is good but everything others have might be better. We will have more peace with this way of thinking," said the professor.

"I really hope the live dialogue between Chinese students and American students can help us understand the culture - different culture," Chancellor Yu said, emphasizing that how to learn from different cultures and how to work together is a big topic in this age of globalization.

Chancellor of NYU Shanghai Yu Lizhong speaks at a dialogue between Chinese and American students last Wednesday, where topics like campus life and cultural differences were discussed. Photo: Ni Dandan/GT