Caritai Events
The Caritai Model
Caritai provides three types of resources – economic, cultural, and social – for first-generation college students who are self-motivated and service-minded.
These resources are critical in determining whether a student can afford their living expenses, engage in social activities with their peers, and find meaningful mentoring opportunities. First-generation students unfamiliar with urban collegiate culture often lack one or more of these resources. We recognize that the accumulation of economic, cultural, and social capital requires time and intentional effort to foster. Supplementing these resources is therefore instrumental to help students adapt to collegiate culture, fulfill their potential, and contribute to society. Caritai has designed a program which nurtures students by systematically providing these three sources.
1. Caritai Talk——We invite exceptional individuals from all walks of life to share their thoughts and experiences in our Caritai Talks. These online workshops aim to help students broaden their horizons and deepen their thoughts on topics relevant to today’s society. We empower our students to interview the speakers, create marketing materials to advertise upcoming talks, and summarize the key points of speakers’ talks as learning resources for future students. Our speakers’ talks are recorded and made publicly available at the speaker’s request. Since our first Caritai Talk in December 2016, we have invited speakers from a wide spectrum of industries, including education, finance, physics, architecture, law, data science, music, consulting, journalism, startup entrepreneurship, and many more. Our speakers have joined us from all over the world.
2. Caritai Home——At Caritai, we have created an organizational framework for our students to manage and develop, with leadership roles designed for our students to flourish in. We provide individualized coaching to help our students design and execute projects, cultivate their communication skills, develop junior members, and realize their leadership potential. We strive to foster self-reflection and a growth mindset in each and every one of our students.
3. Caritai Drift Bottle ——We strive to provide venues for students to engage their academic and professional communities. At the beginning of each academic year, with Caritai’s Drift Bottle, students can submit questions anonymously to members of the Caritai community, who in turn share their own experiences and views on these questions via our online forum. Students have praised this outlet as a way to see the world from multiple perspectives.
4.Caritai Local Activities——We host a variety of activities to help students develop sincere and meaningful relationships, participate in community events, and discuss topics of mutual interest. Signature events include monthly gatherings where students strengthen relationships by sharing life experiences and reflections, an end-of-year party where students celebrate the birthdays of all members symbolically, and a summer celebration party to honor and congratulate on Caritai graduates.
5. Caritai Read——Each year, we purchase twelve thought-provoking books for our students based on their expressed needs and personal interests. We encourage students to discuss their takeaways and reflections meetings held throughout the year.
6. “Caritai Go” Civic Engagement Projects——As a part of Caritai Go, students team up based on their areas of interest to investigate issues that are relevant to society. Each student-led team develops a project idea, designs a research agenda, and executes their research objective. Through their Caritai Go projects, students nurture their critical thinking skills, develop their resource and project management abilities, and gain hands-on team leadership experience.
Caritai Talks and News
To date, our students and alumni have benefited from the stories and insights generously shared by speakers at Caritai Talk from a variety of fields. Caritai students have conducted and presented projects on topics that contribute to societal development, such as AI's impact on the landscape of human-based translation, the status and effectiveness of the rising garbage classification movement in China, the conception and utility of the new integrative Student Center at HUST, and reflections on one-on-one interviews with professors emeritus from Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
We gratefully acknowledge these individuals who hosted Caritai Talks and shared their experiences and thoughts to facilitate our students' growth:
Talk #1, January 2016, Study in Japan
Huang Yuling
Instructor, TAL Education Group
Wuhan, China
Talk #2, November 2016, Strategies for Reading
Vickie Chen
Library Circulation and Technical Services Assistant, New York University - Shanghai
Shanghai, China
Talk #3, January 2017, Advice on Adapting College Life
Yang Wenqi
Architect, AECOM
Shenzhen, China
Graduate Student, Architecture, University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley, USA
Talk #4, March 2017, Making Decisions in College
Hu Liang
R&D Engineer, Alibaba Group
Hangzhou, China
Talk #5, May 2017, Suggestions on Language Learning
Daniel Tucker
Data Analyst, Wyzant
Chicago, USA
Talk #6, July 2017, Characters Need to Build During College Years
Shen Xiaojing
Investment Analyst, Farallon Capital Management
San Francisco, USA
Talk #7, August 2017, Choosing A Life Path
Salma Kennouda (Morocco)
Business Intelligence Analyst, Tech Data
Clearwater, USA
Talk #8, September 2017, Two Sides of Challenges
Dawn Sheng
Head of Legal and Compliance, Accrue
Hong Kong
Talk #9, October 2017, Applying for Jobs and Excelling at Work
Wang Zhiwen
Senior Tech Engineer of Project Management Department, Fiberhome
Wuhan, China
Talk #10, December 2017, Developing Hobbies
Zhang Tingting
Marketing Director, International Seafood Importer and Export Company
Dalian, China
Talk #11, February 2018, Reality
He Cheng
Tech Support Engineer, Fiberhome
Wuhan, China
Talk #12, March 2018, Experience of Starting Own Business
Wen Linxin
CEO and Co-Founder, Chowbus
Chicago, USA
Talk #13, April 2018, AI and Education
Yu Yunpeng
AI Researcher, Amazon
Seattle, USA
Talk #14, May 2018, Challenges
Horus Guo
Senior Account Manager, REACH24H Consulting Group
Hangzhou, China
Talk #15, July 2018, Astronomy
Zhang Zhuowen
PhD in Astrophysics, University of Chicago
Chicago, USA
Talk #16, August 2018, Change
Zou Dong
Postdoctoral Researcher, Shenzhen Stock Exchange
Shenzhen, China
Talk #17, September 2018, Conquering Disadvantages
Bao Yiming
Graduate Student, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai, China
Talk #18, November 2018, Lifelong Study
Dawn Sheng
Head of Legal and Compliance, Accrue
Hong Kong
Talk #19, December 2018, Passion and Pursuit of Excellence
Zhou Bin
Graduate Student, School of Material Science and Engineering, HUST
Wuhan, China
Talk #20, February 2019, Classic Music
He Xuan
Organist, Piano and Harpsichord Teacher
Boston, USA
Graduate Student, McGill University
Montreal, Canada
Talk #21, March 2019, College Life
Li Dong
Graduate Student, College of Life Science and Technology, HUST
Wuhan, China
Talk #22, April 2019, College Life
Zack Yitao He
Retail Manager, Huawei
Talk #23, July 2019, Knowledge of Profession and Job
Chen Rui
Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company
Chicago, USA
Talk #24, August 2019, Applying for Research and Entrepreneurial Innovation Projects during Undergraduate Study
Wang Junpeng
Faculty Member, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law
Wuhan, China
Talk #25, September 2019, How to Navigate Career Search as an Undergraduate
Yu Saina
Headhunter, Fly High Group
San Francisco, USA
Talk #26, October 2019, Discovering Authentic Self
Li Yaqi
Business Analyst, Deloitte Consulting
Chicago, USA
Talk #27, November 2019, Facts about Working in Real-estate
He Jin
Real Estate Procurer, JingRui Holdings
Shanghai, China
Talk #28, February 2020, Living in Uncertainty
Dawn Sheng
Head of Legal and Compliance, Accrue
Hong Kong
Talk #29, January 2020, Time Management
Da Pang
Timing Coach, Productivity Expert
Shenzhen, China
Talk #30, March 2020, Operations Research
Sun Jiankun
Assistant Professor of Operations Management, Imperial College London
London, UK
Talk #31, April 2020, AI and Humanism
Wu Wenhui
Database Engineer on Innovation Project, School of Software, Tsinghua University
Beijing, China
Talk #32, May 2020, Erasmus--a Marvelous Project for Masters
Lai Xin
Program Manager, Demola Global
Shanghai, China
Talk #33, July 2020, Life Journey across Stages
Pan Saijie
Faculty Member, Soong Ching Ling School
Shanghai, China
Talk #34, August 2020, Dream
Wendy Sun
Journalist, Xinhua News Agency
Beijing, China
Talk #35, September 2020, Psychology
Xiao (Lucas) Chen
Adjunct Professor and Leadership Development Consultant, Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, USA
Talk#36, October 2020, Tips for career development
Alex Yao
Coparter, Morale Capital
Beijing, China
Talk#37, November 2020, Making important life decisions
Meng Siqian
Data Analyst, New York, USA
Talk#38, January 2021, What you need to know about Caritai's origin
Lucas Xiao Chen, Adjunct Professor and Leadership Development Consultant, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
Hu Liang, R&D engineer, Alibaba & China Mobile, Hangzhou, China
Zou Dong, Postdoctoral Researcher, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Shenzhen, China
He Cheng, Tech Support Engineer, Fiberhome, Wuhan, China
Talk#39, February 2021, Choices made after graduation
Zhou Xueqian, Alumni of Caritai, Beijing, China
Qiu Feifei, Alumni of Caritai, Beijing, China
Liao Feng, Alumni of Caritai, Lagos, Nigeria
Deng Siyuan, Alumni of Caritai, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Talk#40, March 2021, What does it mean to be a doctor
Zheng Feibo
Attending physician, Tianjin Occupational Diseases Precaution and Therapeutic Hospital
Tianjin, China
Talk#41, May 2021, Connecting the dots
Lucy Wang
Recruitment Manager, Midea Group
Shenzhen, China
Talk#42, June 2021, Life perspective from a US quantitative traders
Quantitative trader, Chicago
Shanghai, China
Talk#43, July 2021, Why do we read literature
Zhang Shan, Lecturer, Shanghai University
Shanghai, China
Talk#44, August 2021, Automotive AI: Utilizing artificial intelligence in cars
Yan Xinchen
Senior Researcher, Waymo
San Francisco, USA
Talk#45, October 2021, Advice on post-graduation plans
Wang Pei, PhD student, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Zeng Yin, Product Manager, Shopline, Shenzhen, China
Zhang Tianyue, Master student, University of Hongkong, Hongkong, China
Talk#46, October 2021, How things manifest differently in people's eyes
Li Yaqi
Student of Anthropology, London School Of Economics And Politics
London, UK
Talk#47, November 2021, When education meets business
Tian Lin
Founder, XiaoTianXia Education
Kunming, China
Talk#48, February 2022, How organizational psychology advances your career
Lucas Xiao Chen
PhD Student, Illinois Institute of Technology
Toronto, Canada
Talk#49, March 2022, The secret of mind mapping
Ouyang Peng
Youth Development Director & Product Manager, Clover
Guangzhou, China
Talk#50, April 2022, What does it mean to work in Africa
Liao Feng
Logistics Official with UUL Logistics
Lagos, Nigeria
