In October 2026, JCU’s Vice President of Academics Mary Merva returned to Jilin University in Changchun, northeastern China, where she taught for a year in 1985. She was invited to join the university’s 80th anniversary celebrations, marking a memorable return more than four decades after her first visit.
In 1985, while completing her PhD in Economics at Rutgers University, Professor Merva was invited by Jilin University’s Department of Economics to spend a year teaching economics and econometrics in English to graduate students. She was both surprised and delighted to be invited back 40 years later to participate in the university’s anniversary celebrations.
During her visit, Professor Merva delivered a talk on the political economy of AI, hosted by Dr. Wang Hao, Full Professor at the School of Economics and Deputy Director of the Institute of European Studies at Jilin University. Dr. Hao had completed his graduate studies in Italy at the University of Florence and the Sapienza University of Rome, which made her visit even more special.
In an interview with China Daily held during her visit, Professor Merva shared some of her impressions of Changchun after four decades. She remembered Changchun as a much smaller university town where people traveled primarily by bicycle. She was impressed by the energy and curiosity of her students, and the warmth of the people who welcomed her, despite a very cold Manchurian winter. “In 2026, I found a much larger city with electric vehicles and a developed subway system, but with the same kind, warm people who welcomed me 40 years ago, and students who are as curious as ever to learn,” Merva said.
In her China Daily interview, Professor Merva also highlighted the value of learning about other cultures through study abroad experiences. She stressed the importance of taking a semester abroad as an opportunity to get to know one another through observation and interaction, engaging in conversations and learning about each other’s cultures and customs, which can foster genuine, meaningful connections and mutual understanding. "And of course," noted Professor Merva, "the best place to study abroad is in Italy!"
Watch Vice President Merva’s interview with China Daily.
