Government students visit the Chinese and Polish embassies

Thirty-five students from Liberty University’s Helms School of Government heard from top diplomats during a trip to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, in Washington, D.C., April 21.

Students began the day with a tour of the Chinese Embassy and a Q&A session with Minister Counselor Liu Pengyu, head of the Information Department at the Chinese Embassy. Students prepared questions in advance, which included topics such as the United States’ bilateral relationship with China, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and the relevance of Artificial Intelligence to international security challenges.

After departing the Chinese Embassy, students visited the Polish Embassy, where they heard from Minister Counselor Adrian Chrobot. Chrobot and his embassy colleagues discussed Poland’s perspective on both European and NATO security issues, as well as their experience and perspectives on being an international diplomat.

The trip was led by Professor Scott Roenicke, who joined Liberty’s faculty in 2021 following a 32-year career at the Pentagon, where he served as Senior Political-Military Advisor for Russia Affairs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served in the White House as Director for Russia Affairs from 2012-13. Roenicke said he hopes the trip gave students a “real-world” look at international relations and diplomacy.

“These visits provided them a ‘real-world’ experience of what it’s like to serve as a diplomat and engage foreign officials as a U.S. or allied delegation,” Roenicke said. “I also wanted them to obtain a comprehension of the nuances and challenges associated with international diplomacy.”

Senior Claire Blosser focused on how the trip allowed her to see and experience two unique cultures.

“I enjoyed expanding my horizons, seeing how other nations interact with us and visiting other countries without leaving the United States,” Blosser said. “It was a trip that I had been looking forward to all semester, so it was fun to go on it.”

Senior Katie Gooding said her favorite part of the trip was interacting with the Chinese diplomats and listening to their responses to the students’ questions.

“My favorite part was the Q&A session in the Chinese Embassy as we were able to really see how they view the crises that affect America and the rest of the world,” Gooding said. “Especially as the political, cultural and economic values are drastically rivaling between America and China, it was an interesting experience to have the insight into these issues.” The Helms School of Government sponsors several trips each semester for students, including recent trips to Fort Bragg and other international embassies. For more information on the Helms School of Government, visit https://www.liberty.edu/government/