Penn plans for increase in students going abroad to China

In step with President Barack Obama’s “100,000 Strong Initiative” — a plan to increase the number and diversity of American students studying abroad in China — Penn has positioned itself to increase the number of students studying abroad in China in the upcoming years.

Nationally, student interest in study abroad programs in China is on the rise. The number of students studying abroad in China has increased by almost five-fold in the last decade, according to an Open Doors Report — a survey conducted by the Institute of International Education.

China was also the only top-five study abroad destination to see an increase in students during the 2008 - 2009 academic year.

Similar trends are apparent at Penn.

According to Barbara Gorka, director of Penn Abroad, Penn sent 35 students to China and Hong Kong last school year. With two weeks till the application deadline, her office has already received 55 applicants.

This number, she said, excludes the number of students who have gone or will go abroad during the summer.

Increasing collaborations with China is “one of [Penn President Amy] Gutmann’s top priorities,” said Anne Waters, executive director of International Programs.

“[Gutmann] is working closely with the provost and deans to develop innovative approaches to our engagement with China,” Waters said. “Each of our twelve schools is increasing collaboration with scholars in China.”

Penn has established ties with many prominent universities in China, including Peking and Tsinghua universities in Beijing and Jiaotong and Fudan universities in Shanghai, according to Jacques deLisle, director of the Center for East Asian Studies and Penn Law professor.

However, despite rising interests in study abroad in China, it will be a challenge to diversify its appeal to more minority students, Gorka said, citing the language barrier as a reason why students may be reluctant to study abroad in China.

“For most of these exchanges, if you don’t have significant Chinese, it’s going to be hard for you to get by,” she said.

Although some Chinese universities offer classes taught in English through the Council on International Educational Exchange program, Waters said that students will not derive the same benefit as they would from direct enrollment alongside local Chinese students.

But these programs allow those “with an interest in China to begin their study of Chinese culture and perhaps even the Chinese language,” she added.

Yet, the rapid proliferation of English-language programs in Chinese universities could bring problems of quality control, deLisle said.

“Some of these programs are done very well, but with the rapid expansion and the teaching not being done in a native language, [the courses offered] can be cut off from an excellent university program,” deLisle said.

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, for example, is “rethinking” its practice of sending students who do not speak Chinese abroad due to the lack of English-language courses offered in partner schools said Joseph Sun, vice dean for academic affairs for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“Tsinghua claims to offer many classes in the English language but our most recent experience proves that has not been the case,” Sun said.

In order to meet Penn’s goal to increase the number of students studying abroad in China, Sun said aspects of the programs will have to change.

Either “more and more Chinese universities teach in the English language, thereby making their education available to our students,” Sun said, “or more and more U.S. students, especially those at Penn, take the Chinese language.”

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