NEW YORK, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Twenty China specialists have been selected for the Public Intellectuals Program (PIP) by the National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUSCR), the New York-based organization said Thursday.

The 20 fellows comprise a wide range of research interests, geographic locations, and types of institutions.

Launched in 2005, PIP identifies outstanding members of the next generation of American China specialists -- in the academic, professional, or policymaking spheres -- who, in the tradition of earlier China hands, have the interest and potential to venture outside of academia or their professions into areas relevant to foreign policy and public education.

The two-year program is designed to enrich the 20 new fellows' understanding of policymaking processes in both the United States and China; help them establish useful relationships both with their academic colleagues and with policy practitioners; encourage them to move beyond the confines of their own disciplines; and nurture their ability to engage with the public at a national, regional, and local level.

The six round of PIP, starting from March through December 2020, will be carried out through a series of activities, including seminars in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco as well as a study tour of China, according to the NCUSCR.

Founded in 1966, the NCUSCR is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of understanding and cooperation between the United States and China.