Building bridges before the world asks for them.
BCEA began in 2021 with a simple question: what if young people could see each other first as human beings, not through the lens of political ideology?
During COVID-19, as tensions between the United States and China rose, students on both sides were learning about each other through headlines, stereotypes, and political narratives.
BCEA began as an attempt to create another lens — one grounded in conversation, curiosity, and shared human experience.
A human lens in a divided moment.
BCEA was born during a time when U.S.–China relations were becoming more tense, polarized, and difficult for young people to navigate. Instead of accepting that students should inherit fear, suspicion, or distance from the political environment around them, we asked a different question:
What if exchange could begin with listening?
In 2021, we launched our first U.S.–China virtual exchange meeting on Zoom. It was small, simple, and direct: students came together not to debate geopolitical positions, but to meet each other as people. That first conversation became the beginning of Bridge Cultural Exchange Academy.
From one Zoom call to a global youth movement.
The First Conversation
During COVID-19 and rising U.S.–China tension, BCEA launched its first U.S.–China virtual exchange meeting on Zoom — a small, direct space where students could meet beyond political narratives and stereotypes.
"What if exchange could begin with listening?"
BCEA Takes Shape at USC
A group of USC spring admits who shared the same belief — including Kali Lu and Andrew Chen — joined together and founded Bridge Cultural Exchange Academy at USC. BCEA was also registered in China as 潍坊心之桥文化交流中心. Our second Global Intelligence (GQ) Summit brought together 70 students from 13 countries.
From Exchange Program to Campus Movement
BCEA was officially registered at USC and began building its first campus chapter in the United States — expanding into cultural events, student diplomacy initiatives, international student dialogues, and gastrodiplomacy programs.
Citizen Diplomacy & Global Intelligence
BCEA formally adopted the citizen diplomacy and Global Intelligence frameworks — helping students build cross-cultural competency, dialogue skills, and the agency to act as citizen diplomats. Our third Cultural Exchange Summit ran on a 30 / 30 / 40 model: Chinese students, U.S. students, and students from the wider global community.
"Diplomacy isn't a title. It's a practice."
Expanding the Platform
BCEA received support from the Mediators Foundation and the Watson Institute incubator. Our fourth Global Intelligence (GQ) Summit launched, student dialogues and public forums expanded, and new student chapters opened in Beijing and Washington, D.C.
Quiet Diplomats & the Bridgebuilders Hub
BCEA launched the Quiet Diplomats initiative — collecting the oral histories of 15 citizen diplomats — and expanded the Bridgebuilders Hub across five cities in the United States, China, and Europe.
"From one conversation, a network of quiet diplomats."
From one conversation to a movement.
BCEA began with one virtual conversation. It has grown into a youth-led platform for citizen diplomacy, cross-cultural leadership, and bridge-building across campuses, cities, and countries.
- Global Intelligence (GQ) Summits
- Student Dialogue Programs
- Public Student Forums
- Gastrodiplomacy Events
- Quiet Diplomats Storytelling
- Bridgebuilders Hub
- City & Campus Chapters
Join the next chapter of bridge-building.
Whether you are a student, educator, partner, or supporter, BCEA invites you to help build spaces where young people can meet across difference and act with courage, curiosity, and care.