Learning partnership with China announced

SUNY Fredonia has been designated one of 10 institutions of higher learning across the United States to participate in a U.S. Department of Education funded program designed to develop new learning partnerships with China.

Acceptance into the International Academic Partnerships Program, an initiative of the Institute of International Education’s Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education, is the latest achievement at SUNY Fredonia to enhance opportunities for students to learn about other cultures.

“As China grows in economic influence, it’s important for our students to have a better understanding of China – its politics and culture – and having a partner university for these kinds of academic exchanges, for both students and faculty, will be a tremendous benefit,” said Ted Schwalbe, coordinator of International Learning and chair of the department of Communication at SUNY Fredonia.

The IIE program is designed to establish relationships with one or more Chinese universities to facilitate exchanges of students and faculty among participating schools in both countries, Schwalbe said.

“The more international students studying and interacting with our students and campus organizations, the better our students will be able to understand another culture.” Schwalbe said. “These short-term and long-term exchanges of students and faculty will be a real benefit to Fredonia. It will bring an additional dimension to the campus.”

In the coming months, SUNY Fredonia will participate in training activities designed to implement and sustain partnerships with institutions in China and also send representatives on a study tour of China in late May to meet with prospective partner campuses. Individual task forces will be formed at the 10 participating U.S. campuses to work on these prospective partnerships.

The campus recently established programs with universities in India and Turkey that have resulted in faculty and student exchanges. Schwalbe looks forward to this program creating a new relationship with a Chinese university similar to the one recently established with FLAME (Foundation for Liberal Arts and Management Education) in Pune, India.

The IIE approved 10 program applications from among 43 submitted. “That’s a real positive sign that they feel we were a good institution to make a go of this program,” Schwalbe said of SUNY Fredonia’s acceptance.

The International Academic partnerships Program was launched in 2009 with a pilot group intended to build partnerships between the U.S. and India. China, the leading place of origin for international students in the U.S. in the 2009-2010 academic year, was added the following year.