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Newslog: Trip strengthens ties in China

Posted on February 3, 2012 - Permalink
 

Drs. Howard London, Michael Kryzanek and Wing-kai To pose in front of the Tiananmen Square gate in Beijing.

First stop on the trip was Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), followed by Shanghai Normal University (SHNU), then the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd).

"The mission [at BJTU] was to renegotiate BSU's partnership agreement," said Dr. Kryzanek. "We also finalized the details of a plan to bring twenty Jiaotong faculty members to BSU this summer for a month to enhance their English-language teaching strategies."

Dr. Kryzanek said the visitors will live on campus, take courses with BSU faculty and will also have the chance to visit cultural and historic sites in the region.

Next was a stop at SHNU, where the delegates continued to explore new academic programs for students and teachers. "We developed a new initiative in which prospective middle school teachers from Shanghai Normal will come here to examine how middle school teachers and principals conduct instruction and deliver their course work," said Dr. Kryzanek. "In addition, we're exploring with officials at Shanghai Normal the possibility of offering a 'two-plus-two' program in global management. Students there would spend their first two years at Shanghai Normal and then come to Bridgewater for two years to receive a joint degree."

Officials at SHNU also extended an invitation to BSU's management faculty to visit and teach at the university and conduct joint research.

HKIEd was the final stop of this journey, where the BSU delegation met with officials to discuss opportunities for new student exchanges and lay the groundwork for another "two-plus-two" program starting in 2013.

During the trip, two BSU faculty members -- Dr. Mark Brenner and Dr. Jing Tan, both of the Department of Social Work -- joined the delegation in presenting papers at an international conference in Hong Kong, titled, "Re-Emerging China," which was attended by scholars from throughout the region.

Overall, Dr. Kryzanek described the trip as a success. "We not only renegotiated existing partnerships, but we were able to develop new programs, which will significantly expand opportunities for Bridgewater students and those at the participating institutions to enhance their understanding of world cultures," he said. (David K. Wilson, '71, University Advancement)

A video message from Dr. Michael Kryzanek

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