Meet our 2021 TOU interns! We are very pleased to welcome interns from around the world virtually this summer! During our first week, the TOU interns have been engaged in exploring the work of the Temple of Understanding and learning more about the United Nations as they begin to think about the topics they will be researching throughout the program. We are looking forward to participating in HLPF, hearing from speakers on numerous topics, experiencing religious site visits, and more over the next few weeks!
Simon Lian, China
My name is Siyang Lian, and I prefer to be called Simon. I am 18 and a rising senior at The Hotchkiss School. I am originally from Shenzhen, China. I have been studying abroad for four years now, and I have also traveled around the world a lot, exposing myself to a range of cultures and religions. Growing up experiencing both Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism, I recently started a project on collecting and cataloging ancient manuscripts to help preserve the past and make them available to more scholars. I look forward to exploring how different religions connect and how to preserve these precious collections of humanity. At the Temple of Understanding, I look forward to learning and working closely with interfaith education.