Visiting Chinese Faculty Program Enriching for All
Eleven visiting Chinese faculty recently said their goodbyes to the green mountains of Vermont and the small University with a big heart as they prepared to return home to their respective higher education institutes in China after a semester-long visit to Castleton.
While on campus, the young faculty from Suzhou University and Huai Bei Normal University attended and observed classes in various subjects such as English, Education, Business and the Sciences, and also participated as guest lecturers in select classrooms.
The group was bid farewell on December 20, after a gathering at Castleton President Dave Wolk’s home. Their trip marks the second consecutive year Castleton has hosted visiting faculty from these two sister schools in China, with plans already underway to continue the program in 2017.
According to Patrick Liu, Director of International Student Recruitment and Enrollment, the program offers several benefits to both the Chinese participants and Castleton.
“Through their interaction with the visiting faculty, Castleton community members learn about a culture that is quite different from their own,” explained Liu. “The Chinese faculty, in return, expand their view of higher education by observing a Western-style of teaching, quite different from that used in China, as well as from being part of daily life on an active American campus. In doing so, they also significantly improve their English skills.”