Last updated: Friday, 21-Feb-2003 08:32:10 CST
October 4, 2002

Delegation From China Visits UW-RF
By Katie Vangsness
UW-RF News Bureau

Three representatives from Zhejiang Education Institute in Hangzhou, China, visited UW-River Falls Sept. 27-29, to discuss expanding the relationship the Institute has with UW-RF. The group received a warm welcome by Chancellor Ann Lydecker, who presented them with mementos of UW-RF.

Visitors included Yuanjun Xiao, deputy dean of education administration; Jufang Wu, chair of the administrative committee; and Jiansheng Zhang, deputy chief of personnel. The group was hosted by Brent Green, UW-RF director of international education programs.

Haiyan Zhang, also form ZEI, is a second-year graduate student and instructor of Chinese language at UW-RF.

The two schools hope to expand their relationship to include faculty and student exchanges and scholarly visits. UW-RF intends to send faculty and students to ZEI as early as fall 2003. ZEI would like to have UW-RF faculty teach English courses as well as courses in their area of expertise. This arrangement would provide UW-RF students the opportunity to take a class from a UW-RF professor and a class in Chinese while in China.

Green says the benefits of an expanded relationship with ZEI are obvious. "We are a global world, and studying abroad is a perfect way to learn that," he said. "These programs would increase global awareness and employability for UW-RF students."

Chancellor Lydecker and Green are reviewing the possibility of a reciprocal visit to ZEI this winter to work out further details of the agreement, recruit ZEI students to River Falls, and negotiate logistical issues of the exchange.

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