最亲爱的国际金融学院老师、同事、学生和朋友们：

    我非常感谢能给我这个机会和你们一起分享北京师范大学珠分校区国际金融学院成立五周年的喜悦。我感到非常荣幸，你们仍然记得我——一名曾在此教书的老师，你们的同事和朋友。

    高等学府是创造梦想的摇篮。莘莘学子们怀着无限的憧憬走进大学，又带着更伟大的梦想与成就功绩的知识离开母校。国际金融学院“2+2”和“1+1+2”项目的设立及其独特的课程设置，使学生们有了一个在中西方文化熏陶下学习和发掘自身潜力的机会。我希望在美国也能有这样类似的课程设置，从而给美国学生们一个在这里的高校，更重要的是在中国进修的机会。

    国际金融学院这种国际合作项目在当今社会是非常有意义的。当今世界需要的金融、贸易、政府、科学、艺术以及其他各个领域的管理者，应具备了解、熟悉所有文化的共性的素质。国际金融学院正是培养学生们在此方面的能力。30年前，当我在大学学习中文和中国政治的时候，我无法真正的到中国，接触中国人，直接的了解中国人的思想。那不仅仅是我个人的损失，更是所有人的损失——两个伟大的国家无法互相了解，没有机会欣赏对方的文化。所幸的是，这个时代已经一去不复返了。

    国际金融学院圆了我多年以来盼望着到中国学习、生活和交流的梦想。曾经，我梦想能漫步在中国的大街上，周围被我所喜爱的中文所环绕。曾经，我梦想着我努力尝试说我极差劲的中文。所有的这一切，因为2005到2006年在国际金融学院的任教而得以实现。我感到非常荣幸。更重要的是，我能来到这里认识这里的所有人，和你们相处，尤其是我可爱的学生们，我永远不会忘记他们。

    我曾听说过这样一句话 “你会离开中国，但中国永远不会离开你。”它正是我现在的感受。我想告诉你们的是，我的心已经部分留在了中国，和你们在一起。祝福你们！

    祝国际金融学院生日快乐！

                                                                                   傅枚文

Dearest Teachers, Colleagues, Students, and Friends of the International Finance College:

I want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to share your joy in celebrating the 5th anniversary of IFC at Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai. How kind of you to remember a former teacher, colleague, and friend!

Colleges and universities are dream machines. Students enter with many dreams and hopes about the future and leave with better ideas and strategies about how to achieve their goals. IFC's challenging curriculum and special "2 + 2" and "1 + 1 + 2" programs afford students an opportunity to learn and discover themselves in both a Chinese and a Western context. I wish there were similar programs in my country that would permit American students to study intensively here and also in China.

Such intercultural programs are absolutely essential today. The world needs leaders in finance, business, government, the arts and sciences--and in all other occupations and professions--who appreciate the common humanity we all share. IFC helps its students to gain that critical perspective. When I studied Chinese and Chinese politics in graduate school more than 30 years ago, I could not travel to China, meet with Chinese people, or learn firsthand what Chinese thought about things. That was not only a personal tragedy, it was a inter-people tragedy. Two great nations were deprived of the chance to experience and enjoy one another. That world, thankfully, is forever behind us.

IFC allowed me to realize one of my longstanding dreams, which was to go to China and spend time living, learning, and sharing among Chinese. I used to dream about walking through Chinese streets and hearing Chinese--a language I love--spoken all around me. I used to dream about trying to speak in (my terrible) Chinese, myself. Teaching in China at IFC (2005-2006) gave me the privileged opportunity to realize my dream. But more importantly, it gave me a lasting gift: the chance to meet and spend time with all of you--especially, my beloved students, whom I will never forget.

I have heard it said "you can leave China, but China never leaves you." I now know that this is true. I want all of you to know that I have left a piece of my heart with all of you. Much love!

Happy Anniversary IFC!

Mel Friedman