HOW A UNIVERSITY IN WESTERN KANSAS WENT GLOBAL:
FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY'S CHINESE-AMERICAN
BACHELOR OF GENERAL STUDIES PROGRAM
Back in the early 1990s, Fort Hays State
University (FHSU) started to take a more
serious, proactive look into how it could expand
its distance education programs both
domestically and globally. Today, through a
series of fortuitous events, and its overall
ability to combine flexibility and innovation at
the institutional level, FHSU is providing
several thousand students living in China, and
growing, with an American-conferred bachelor of
general studies (BGS) degree, with five
concentrations, that is part face-to-face and
part distance learning. FHSU, which offers the
BGS degree through its Virtual College, is
currently managing this program in partnership
with four Chinese institutions: SIAS
International University in Xinzheng City,
Henan; the University of International Business
and Economics in Beijing; Shenyang Normal
University in Shenyang, Liaoning; and Tak Ming
College in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada.
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CONNECTING THE DOTS . . .
How FHSU developed its institutional
infrastructure over the last 14 years in order
to adequately prepare for the expansion of its
bachelor of general studies program into China.
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INTERVIEW WITH SHAWN CHEN, FOUNDER AND CEO
OF SIAS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
As noted on the SIAS web site, Shawn Chen,
Chinese-American founder and CEO of SIAS
International University, is "an American
success story in the area of international
industrial manufacturing, including diversified
investments in a conglomeration of hotels and
restaurants in the Los Angeles region. . .
Chen’s objective is to use an academic
environment to promote friendships, improve
living standards, and raise the education levels
for the people of China." Educational
Pathways had an opportunity to talk with
Chen. Not surprisingly, he was getting ready to
go back to China when we interviewed him about
the present and future of Chinese-foreign
education cooperation.
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TEACHING ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS TO THE NATIVE
CHINESE
Teaching Chinese students college-level English
writing skills poses a number of challenges,
including the introduction of such concepts as
how to compose a proper thesis statement,
organize essays and research papers, and use
transitions for coherence. Additionally,
"Western writing is different from Eastern
writing. We are much more direct; whereas,
Chinese writing tends to be more circuitous and
not as thesis-statement-driven as our Western
essays," says FHSU English Department Chair
Cheryl Duffy.
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NOTES ON CHINA
A compendium of statistics, observations, and
comments from a wide variety of sources -
including personal communications, research
reports, and articles from various media sources
- concerning the new Chinese business and
economic, political and educational landscape.
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