Spring 2007 Newsletter
Program Development in China: Key Learnings from a Site Visit
By Sue Strow
In our last newsletter we discussed the emergence of China as a global leader and the future impact this will have on study abroad in the United States. Last month, I visited China, on behalf of Intrax Education Abroad, to meet with our partners at Yunnan Normal University's Institute of Chinese and International Studies (ICIS) in Kunming. I returned from this trip with a strong sense of confidence in our partners, a wealth of ideas, and a deeper understanding of China, both in its educational institutions and in how to best build partnership with the Chinese. As with many Asian cultures, a true partnership is not properly formed until there is a face-to-face meeting which helps cement trust.
This summer, Intrax Education Abroad will be offering a new China Summer Cultural Exploration program. This will be followed by our J-Term program for universities. The month-long summer program and the university J-Term program combine Chinese (Mandarin) language classes, group excursions, and service projects with local Chinese youth. The high school program begins in Beijing, where the students get to know each other through outings and team-building activities. Then, the group flies to Kunming, located in southwest China, to study at Yunnan Normal University's ICIS. While in Kunming, the group will take part in service projects with youth groups from the Red Cross and Save the Children. Additionally, they will spend one week in the areas of Lijiang (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Dali. A short homestay will be offered with the Bai ethnic group outside of Dali. The program finishes in Shanghai, the economic hub of East Asia. In Shanghai, the students prepare themselves for re-entry to the United States and learn some creative ways to share their experiences with their friends and family. The university program will be based in Kunming and will have a longer service-learning component and the opportunity to earn college credit.
This visit to China was beneficial in many ways. It served to firm up the partnership between Intrax Education Abroad and Yunnan Normal University, instilled in us an understanding and awareness of business protocol in China, and most importantly, put a face on the partnership. To summarize, this visit brought home several key learnings:
- Chinese institutions have the capacity, facilities and the desire to bring international students to their campuses
- There is a highly competent and qualified pool of professors with Teaching and Master's degrees in Chinese as a Second-Language and International Studies
- Our Chinese partners placed more importance on trust-building and discussion, then on our formal contracts and written correspondence
- The desire for international students is so strong that overseas partners are willing to design programs specific to the home institution's needs
- The government of China has taken a very pro-active stance on internationalizing Chinese campuses. For example, they have changed the names of many Mao Institutes to the more friendly name of Confucius Institutes
- Establishing a strong partnership with a Chinese institution opens up channels to streamline the approval process for new programs by facilitating negotiations with local government offices
For further information on China or program development in China, please contact Sue Strow, Program Manager, at sstrow@intraxstudyabroad.com.
