Chinese students experience liberal arts Minnesota-style
The first exchange between the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) and United International College (UIC) in Zhuhai, China is underway this month with a visit by 25 UIC students. Along with attending college seminars, students have already experienced a mock-Thanksgiving Dinner, stayed with host families, dined on s’mores, visited a grocery store and attended a Fourth of July celebration. They are visiting six MPCC institutions during their month-long stay.
The MPCC and UIC share an interest in liberal arts, language and culture and this exchange will benefit all our students and faculty, said Tom Homan, director of international education at the College of St. Scholastica. Homan is chairing the exchange effort among the participating Minnesota colleges this year. “This experience is a superb opportunity for those in small private colleges who don’t normally have this kind of exposure,” he said.
UIC students Hector Wu and Susanna Lu
While visiting Augsburg College, the third stop on their tour, two UIC students shared their reflections so far. Susanna Lu — an international journalism major who just completed her first year — loved the Spam Museum the group visited in Austin, Minn. “I liked seeing the promotions and advertising,” she said. Hector Wu — an applied economics major who will start his junior year, was captivated by Jackson Pollock’s paintings at the Walker Art Center and the extraordinary architecture of Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College. “We’ve seen fine arts and music at every campus,” he exclaimed.
Both students were very impressed with the family visits that have been arranged for them at each campus. While visiting Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Lu stayed with art professor William Bukowski and his family. “He does amazing work,” she said. She was also moved by her first experience attending church. Most of the students had never been in a church building before, said Kathy Bruss, who coordinated activities at Bethany. “I told them that while for us church is a spiritual activity, we are taking them as a cultural activity.”
UIC students at Gustavus Adolphus College
Wu admitted that he had never felt at home when he stayed with a family in England as a child, but his host families here “really welcomed us.” At the end of their Bethany visit, the UIC students were asked what surprised them at their host family homes. Responses ranged from “you hide your garbage in a cupboard” to “there was a nice and clean cat who slept in my bed” to “the boy’s room was a mess.” As part of their family visits, several students have now met a family with an adopted Chinese child. “It is surprising what they know about China. Minnesotans are interested in Chinese culture,” Lu said.
UIC is the first fully sanctioned liberal arts college to be created in China since the early 20th century and the agreement with MPCC colleges is the first it has reached with American colleges. UIC opened in fall 2005 and has 1,200 students and 11 majors. Its enrollment target is 4,000-4,500 with half the students coming from abroad. This visit is the beginning of exchanges that will soon include faculty and staff as well as students from both countries.
Bill May, the director of the Office of International Development at UIC who is accompanying the students, believes that this student exchange is helping the partnership take root. “Many of these students have never traveled outside of China before and this is an exhilarating experience for them,” he said. “It’s unique for them to be able to go into American homes and universities and it’s a good test of their English.” May said that the students’ English has held up very well and notes that they have been struck by Minnesota's friendliness and even the politeness of drivers (no honking!).
Liberal arts at UIC are defined as “whole person education,” according to Lu. “It’s not just about your abilities, but also about your knowledge of things,” she said. The UIC students are experiencing how this translates at Minnesota liberal arts colleges. “Students here are engaged in sports, arts and other activities besides academics,” noted Wu, who was particularly struck by Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow’s welcome talk, “Make a Living, Make a Life.” Pribbenow emphasized the importance of education for both one’s professional and personal life. Wu also marveled while visiting Gustavus that all four tour guides were double majors — "some were in very different fields like music and management or history and political science,” he said.
In addition to experiencing Minnesota culture, students are attending classes. Professors on each campus are teaching courses on topics such as business and the consumer, persuasion, and leadership. Students will earn academic credit from UIC by writing about the role of Minnesota’s private liberal arts colleges in preparing the population for life in a free society.
From this multitude of experiences, a few things have stood out for Wu and Lu. “The food is extra large and high calorie,” said Wu. Lu noted that there are 100 kinds of cereal at our grocery stores. “So many choices and the stores are open 24 hours!” she said.
This exchange experience has had a significant impact on both Wu and Lu. Wu admits that his parents strongly encouraged him to come on this trip. “I thought it would be hard, a disaster,” he said, “but it’s not that scary.” Both students now say that they would like to go to graduate school in the U.S., “maybe in Minnesota,” Wu added.
“UIC is an imaginative and experimental effort in China,” said Homan. “Promoting this connection with China and UIC will help students and faculty embrace the global society.”