Ni hao. It is such a pleasant and an honor to be here with all of you at this great university…Thank you so much for having me.

And before I get started today, on behalf of myself and my husband, I just want to say a few very brief words above Malaysian(sic) Airline Flight 370.

As my husband has said, theUnited Statesis offering as many resources as possible to assist in the search.

And please know that we are keeping all the families and loved ones of those on this flight in our thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.

And with that, I want to start by recognizing our news Ambassador toChinaAmbassador Baucus…President Wang…Chairman Zhu…Vice President Li. Director Cueller, Professor Oi and the Stanford center…President Sexton from New York University which has an excellent study abroad program in Shanghai…and John Thorton, Director of the Global Leadership Program at Tsinghua University…thank you all so much for joining us.

And most of all, I want to thank all of the student for being here today…and I particulary want to thank Eric Schafer and Zhu Xuanbao for that extraordinary English and Chinese introduction.

That was such a powerful symbol of everything I want to talk with you about today.

You see, by learning each other’s languages - and by showing such curiosity and respect for each other’s cultures - Mr. Schafer and Ms. Zhu and all of you are building bridges of understanding that lead to so much more.

And I’m here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among your people like you across the globe.

That’s why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don't just visit palaces and parliament and meet with heads of state.

We also come to schools like this one to meet with students like you.

Because we believe that relationships between nations are not just about relationship between governments or leaders…they’re about relationships between people, particularly our young people.

So we view study abroad programs not just as an educational opportunity f or students…but also as a vital part ofAmerica’s foreign policy.

You see, through the wonders of modern technology, our world is more connected than ever before.

Ideas can cross ocean with the click of a button.

Companies can do business and complete with companies across the globe.

And we can text, email and skype with people on every continent.

So studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to spend a semester-it’s quickly becoming the key to success in our global economy.

Because getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about getting good grades or test scores in school…it’s also about having real experience with the world beyond your borders - experience with languages, cultures and societies very different from your own.

Or, as the Chinese saying goes: “It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.”

But let’s be clear, studying abroad is about so much more than improving your own future - it’s also about shaping the future of your countries and of the world we all share.

Because when it comes to the defining challenges of our time - whether it’s climate change, or economic opportunity, or the spread of nuclear weapons...these are shared challenges.

No one country can confront them alone...the only way forward is together.

That’s why it’s so important for young people like you to live and study in each other’s countries.

Because that’s how you develop that habit of cooperation - you do it by improving yourself in someone’s culture…by learning each other’s stories…and by getting past the stereotypes and misconceptions that too often divide us.

That’s how you come to understand how much we all share.

And that’s how you realize that we all have a stake in each other’s success - that cures discovered here in Beijing could save lives in America…the clean energy technologies from Silicon Valley in California could improve the environment here in China…that the architecture of an ancient temple in Xi’an could inspire the design of new buildings in Dallas or Detroit.

And that’s when the connections you make as classmates or labmates can blossom into something more.

That’s what happened when Abigail Coplin became an American Fulbright Scholar here at Peking University.

She and her colleagues published papers together in top science journals…and they both research partnerships that lasted long after they returned to their home countries.

Professor Niu Ke fromPekingUniversitywas Fulbright Scholar in theU. S.last year…and he reported, and I quote, “the most memorable experience were with my American friends. ”

These lasting bonds represent the true value of studying abroad…and I am thrilled that more and more students are getting this opportunity.

Chinais currently the fifth most popular destination for Americans studying abroad.

And today, the highest number of exchange students in theU.S.are fromChina.

But still, too many students never have this chance…and some that do are hesitant to take it.

They may feel like study abroad is only for wealthy students, or students from certain kinds of universities.

Or they may think to themselves: “Well, that sounds fun, but how will it really be useful in my life?”

I understand where these young people are coming from, because I felt the same way when I was in college.

You see, I came from a working class family… and it never even occurred to me to study abroad.

My parent didn’t get to attend college, and I was focused on getting into a university and earning my degree so I could get a job and support myself.

And for a lot of young people like me who are struggling to afford a regular semester of school paying for plane tickets or living expense halfway around the world just isn’t possible.

And that’s not acceptable, because study abroad shouldn’t just for student from certain backgrounds.