In June, eight Charleston Southern University students participated in a three-week study-abroad course, “Introduction to Chinese Culture,” held in the People’s Republic of China.
China team: (first row, l-r) David Phillips, Don Clerico; (second row) Justin Ervin, Ashley Glenn, Emily Simmons; (third row) Tyler McSwain, Sydnie Pye, Kimberly Rosinus, Deborah Jett, and Erica Young.The course, designed and directed by David Phillips, professor of English, introduces students to Chinese culture through visits to important historical and cultural sites, instruction in elementary Mandarin, lectures on Chinese history and religion, and classes in martial arts, paper cutting, and calligraphy.
The students and Phillips, assisted by Donald Clerico, professor of education and director of CSU’s International Studies Program, visited Beijing for four days, where they toured the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Capital Museum, Temple of Heaven, the Ming Tombs, and glimpsed sites of the 2008 Olympics. The remainder of the course was conducted at Qingdao University in Qingdao, known by the Chinese as the “Switzerland of China,” a small coastal city of 2 million situated on the Yellow Sea.
The course is the culmination of a two-year effort by Phillips and Clerico to establish formal relations between Qingdao University and CSU. In 2006, Clerico attended a conference on international study in Qingdao hosted by the Consortium for Global Education, comprised of 40 private colleges and universities. The following year, Phillips and Clerico traveled to Qingdao University where they met with university officials and signed letters of agreement to work toward developing international study and faculty exchange programs.
This year they met with Qingdao University president, Linhua Xia; dean of International Programs, Zhou Xiaoli; and other officials in an effort to expand the program to eight weeks, offering CSU and CGE students the opportunity to earn credit hours in Mandarin.
“The program has the potential to change lives – both the students and the Chinese with whom they interact,” said Phillips. “The partnership with Qingdao University can help Charleston Southern achieve its goal of preparing graduates and transforming lives.
“Our students’ hearts were touched by the warmth and hospitality of the Chinese people – and the Chinese students, faculty, and staff we met at Qingdao University were touched by our students’ sincerity, openness, and spirituality,” he said.