This summer the six teaching faculty members of the Ningde Normal University accepted the invitation from Hiwassee College, travelled to the US and stayed there for about one month, financially supported by the school authorities. They got a busy schedule (three weeks in Hiwassee College for cultural exchange, five days in Tifton, Georgia for teaching and visiting, and three days in New York city, etc). What they experienced and witnessed during the US visit can be summarized as followed:
Firstly, the practice of HC authorities focusing on the promotion of the school’s academic atmosphere and social influence can shed light on Chinese counterparts. For example, they select top students, excellent teachers and outstanding alumni in academic fields and other fields, and put their names on the wall; they arrange for someone to be responsible for alumni affairs and keep in contact with them; they design a mascot for their school and put it on their T-shirts; they keep their symbolic records or stuff in the showcase. All these efforts have greatly impressed visitors.
Secondly, American young people don’t know much about China. Very few can speak Chinese, but most of them are curious about China. During the visit to Tifton County High School, Chinese faculty members were constantly being asked the questions like “ do Chinese people eat dogs and cats”, “ can every Chinese guy speak English”, etc., as well as some sensitive questions such as “ why does China practice one-child policy”, “ do Chinese people have the religion freedom”.
Thirdly, religion is a very important part of American life. Around 90 percent of American people believe in God. That is to say, Christianity plays a dominant role in American society. Partly because American people live far away from each other even in the same town, it’s not easy to see many local people and talk to them in their daily life. Thus going to church on Sunday is the first choice for most Christian people, where they can meet many other people. Obviously, Church is not only the place where people worship God but the community center where people communicate, play and do something for fun (some churches provide local people with sports facilities, even a gym, so lots of kids love to go there). However, that gives rise to another problem: if our school send the students to study in the US, how those non-Christian Chinese students can survive among their Christian classmates or roommates around them, how they can keep a normal relationship with them, and how they can keep their belief independent and without being bothered by others will be big issues that our school authorities are concerned about.
Last but not least, this trip has helped the Chinese teaching faculty members establish a connection with HC and some other colleges in the US and promote a personal intimate relationship with old American friends. All this will definitely have a positive effect on the cooperation between our college and American counterparts in the future.
by yaozhengjing