Though the Rutgers University—New Brunswick campus is much quieter in the summer months, there is still plenty of activity taking place in and around the classrooms thanks to a range of summer programs offered from the Rutgers Global—Professional Development and Training Office. Jeff Wang, assistant vice president for global affairs, reported that there were no fewer than nine training programs taking place during the months of July and August for college students, faculty, and administrators from some of the top universities in China.
Students from the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, the Shanghai University Summer bridge program, and the Jilin University Medical School in Changchun participated in month-long programs at Rutgers that included major-related seminars, English immersion courses, and activities focused on American culture, including sightseeing trips to New York, Boston, and Washington, DC.
Yuntong Liu from the Jilin University Medical School Group reported, “Staff at the [Rutgers] university medical school gave us a tour of their facilities and it was really eye-opening to go behind the curtain and see how a world class medical school operates.”
Saifei Gou from Shanghai University shared, “The teachers here are all very encouraging … Before I came here I was always afraid of public speaking, but in the English class, I did not feel anything like that. It’s a really inviting environment and we all learned so much.”
Faculty and administrators from The Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics and the Zhejiang Financial College came to Rutgers to participate in three- to four-week training programs on teaching English, pedagogy, and a disciplinary course on higher education administration.
Li Zhang from the Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics who participated in the English Teacher Training Program said, “We established a real relationship with our teachers during our four weeks here. They have taught us so much and we wish to have them come to China and teach some classes at our university as well.”
There were also visiting delegates from multiple Chinese universities, including Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China University of Political Science and Law, Yunnan University, and Shanxi Normal University, who participated in a university administration training program that featured lectures from senior level Rutgers University faculty and staff on the topics of higher education administration and student affairs. Lecturers this summer included Rutgers University President Emeritus Richard McCormick and Chancellor Emeritus of Rutgers University—New Brunswick Richard Edwards, as well as many board of governors distinguished professors.
These training courses encourage cross-cultural conversation and engagement, and an opportunity to teach and learn in a new way—for both the visiting groups from China and for the Rutgers faculty involved in the programs.
The Rutgers Global—Professional Development & Training unit has been running summer training programs for Chinese students, faculty, and administrators since 2011 with great success. This summer, Rutgers hosted a total of 155 students, faculty, and administrators from China.
“I think that the primary goal of these summer training programs is to offer excellent educational opportunities that go beyond international boundaries,” noted Wang. “The exchange of knowledge between the Chinese students and faculty and the Rutgers faculty is enriching for both, and ultimately improves higher education on a global level.”
Visit this page to see videos and learn more about these programs from Rutgers Global.