Spring Break
Arizona goes global
UA partnership to assist new Chinese university
By: Shain Bergan
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News
To facilitate the gathering of research information and the global exchange of students and faculty, UA officials have created hundreds of pending international agreements with other universities.
The overall focus of such agreements often goes beyond simply exchanging personnel. Agreements allow faculty and administrators to gain more experience through collaboration with like-minded individuals, said UA President Robert Shelton.
"The world isn't shrinking," he said. "It has already shrunk."
The UA is now set to provide academic services to Nanjing International University, an institution in China currently being built for a fall 2009 debut, said Jerry Hogle, vice president for instruction and UA representative in the agreement.
What sets the NIU collaboration apart from other international agreements is the UA's involvement in the creation and integration of academics into the Chinese university's original curriculum, Shelton said.
"We sign a lot of these love agreements," he said. "This one really is unique, though."
Despite Arizona regulations that prevent state universities from becoming a partner or a co-founder of the project, the UA will provide primary academic service ranging from the development of certain degree programs to creating an American connection with NIU students, Hogle said.
Part of what will make NIU revolutionary to the Chinese education system is its American approach to academia and student relations. While Chinese universities typically drown out individual interaction between faculty and students, NIU will strive to facilitate a free-flowing exchange of ideas between educators and the student population, he said.
The UA influence on the university will also be reflected by the presence of English as the dominant language on the NIU campus, Hogle added.
"These students have very high quality academic skills, and their English is wonderful," he said. "All of the classes will be taught in English."
The overall focus of such agreements often goes beyond simply exchanging personnel. Agreements allow faculty and administrators to gain more experience through collaboration with like-minded individuals, said UA President Robert Shelton.
"The world isn't shrinking," he said. "It has already shrunk."
The UA is now set to provide academic services to Nanjing International University, an institution in China currently being built for a fall 2009 debut, said Jerry Hogle, vice president for instruction and UA representative in the agreement.
What sets the NIU collaboration apart from other international agreements is the UA's involvement in the creation and integration of academics into the Chinese university's original curriculum, Shelton said.
"We sign a lot of these love agreements," he said. "This one really is unique, though."
Despite Arizona regulations that prevent state universities from becoming a partner or a co-founder of the project, the UA will provide primary academic service ranging from the development of certain degree programs to creating an American connection with NIU students, Hogle said.
Part of what will make NIU revolutionary to the Chinese education system is its American approach to academia and student relations. While Chinese universities typically drown out individual interaction between faculty and students, NIU will strive to facilitate a free-flowing exchange of ideas between educators and the student population, he said.
The UA influence on the university will also be reflected by the presence of English as the dominant language on the NIU campus, Hogle added.
"These students have very high quality academic skills, and their English is wonderful," he said. "All of the classes will be taught in English."
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