Spring Break
China, Univ. draw closer
Program to begin in fall
JOANN ANDERSON
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: News
|
Governor Sonny Perdue and University Provost Arnett Mace signed a deal last week in Beijing with Tsinghua University officials to allow University students to study at Tsinghua and for Chinese students to study at the University.
A school of more than 20,000 students, Tsinghua University is one of the top ranked schools in China, Jane Gatewood, associate director of the Office of International Affairs, said Monday during a phone interview.
Located in the Northwestern region of Beijing, Tsinghua was founded by Jesuits in 1911 and is now run by the Chinese Ministry for Education.
Mace's visit was part of Perdue's business trip in which he aimed to foster Georgia's economic relations with China, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Athens Banner-Herald reported Thursday.
"By creating international educational opportunities for our students, we are preparing them to enter the global economy and to contribute to Georgia's outstanding intellectual capital," Perdue said in a news release.
China's economic standing and history make it of prime interest to University students and faculty, Gatewood said.
"We have interests all over the world, but with the focus on globalized education, certainly China is a global leader with lots of history," she said.
The exchange program is expected to begin in Fall 2008, and students will have the opportunity to study for a semester or a year, Gatewood said.
University students will have access to all of Tsinghua's offered classes and programs, including libraries and research facilities, and will be able to take classes in English or Mandarin.
There is not yet a faculty exchange agreement for University faculty to teach at Tsinghua, but there is a possibility of future collaboration, Gatewood said.
The University has other Chinese study abroad options, including programs in Jilin, a region in Northern China, Gatewood said.
Be the first to comment on this story