W. Chad Futrell has spent almost twenty years studying, conducting research, and working in China and South Korea, including consulting for numerous NGOs. Chad is currently the Executive Director of Student Life at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, where he oversees the Deep Dive mobile learning course, Practical Training Project internship program, and Chinese and English language programs. He was previously the Center Director of the CIEE Study Center at Peking University and Minzu University of China. Before shifting into higher education administration, Chad won several teaching awards for his courses on China’s development and environmental challenges, international relations, government, and business culture. An avid hiker, Chad has led groups to many sections of the "wild" Great Wall, and has designed and led study abroad programs in various places in China including Tibet, the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, rural Guizhou Province, and the border regions of North Korea and Russia. Chad spent his undergraduate years studying Chinese religion and philosophy at UNC-Chapel Hill and University of Sussex before spending several months studying Zen Buddhism at South Korea’s Songgwangsa Temple. He later completed graduate work in Environmental Management, Asian Studies, and Development Sociology at Cornell University, and earned certificates of Advanced Chinese and Korean from Tsinghua and Sogang universities, respectively. His research and language studies were generously supported by Fulbright-Hays, Korea Foundation, and FLAS fellowships, among others.

Andrew Revolta returned to Beijing after studying Chinese and Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. Whilst in Beijing, he will continue his research on contemporary Chinese film, building on the work which he undertook last summer at leading contemporary gallery Ullens Center (UCCA). The placement at UCCA last summer allowed him to further his knowledge of contemporary Chinese film, add to his understanding of the international art world, and to continue to improve his Chinese skills. Aside from Chinese contemporary film and art, Andrew also possesses an in-depth of knowledge of contemporary Chinese issues, both from the courses he took at SOAS and through his year of study at Beijing Normal University. Living in the hutong district of Beijing gave him an insight into daily life of the Beijinger and left him with an even greater interest in Chinese culture. Andrew has previously worked as a docent at UCCA, providing English-speaking visitors with an insight into the exhibitions that were on display. These enriching experiences add yet another layer to his understanding of China and how the world perceives it. Andrew’s current studies at the Beijing Film Academy are in preparation for further research in the world of Chinese film.

Irene Lu is a manager of foreign teachers at an International School in Beijing. She is originally from Suzhou, a Chinese city nicknamed ‘the Venice of the East’, known for its traditional Chinese garden architecture, silk and Kunqu opera. Irene lived in Chongqing, Tibet, Shenzhen and Hong Kong before spending ten years overseas in Singapore, Malaysia, Denmark, India and the US while working for a global shipping company. Irene enjoys the charms of traveling- widening horizons, experiencing local food and culture, relaxing, and becoming more tolerant of different ideas and cultures. Her experiences abroad motivated her to become a docent. During her tours, which include Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Hutong and Daily Life in Beijing, she not only introduces the scene or architecture, but also shares stories and explains traditional cultural elements and concepts. She is a great photographer and is currently working on a book about her experience as a docent in Beijing, inspired by her clients from around the world.