Director: Zhang Jie, Ph.D.
|
Assistant: Paulette Wydro |
In
This Issue: |
I.
|
News from
the Director |
II.
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Buffalo
State Delegation Visited China in Summer 2000 |
III. |
Overview of
the Three Chinese Universities |
IV |
Farewell
Banquet for Three Visiting Scholars from China |
V. |
Second
Faculty Delegation to Visit China in August 2001
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|
 |
With
support from the Provost's Office, the FNSS Dean, Research Foundation, Center for Health
and Social Research, as well as the Department of Sociology, the Center for China Studies
was naugurated and started |
to operate in
Fall 2000. The mission of the Center at Buffalo State is to promote and coordinate
research, scholarly exchanges, academic programs, and economic development with China.
Center activities will advance the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of
students, faculty, staff, and the general community in Western New York by providing an
international perspective regarding China in the context of an ever changing and diverse
world. The Center's goal is to provide Buffalo State and the Western New York community
with enriched opportunities for cultural, academic, and economic development by
facilitating collaborative programs in China. As the founding director of the Center, I
thank all those parties and individuals who have contributed to the establishment of this
academic venture. Without them, the Center is not possible. Meanwhile, I also thank the
following 10 scholars and administrators who are willing to serve as the Center's
consultants: |
 |
Conorozzo, Angelo - Associate
Director, Center for Development of HumanServices [conoroaa@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Fraser, Gordon - Director and
Professor, the Great Lakes Center[frasergs@bscmail.buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Gounard, Jean F.- Director,
International Student Affairs[gounarjf@buffalostate.edu] |
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Grabiner, Virginia - Chair and
Associate Professor, Sociology[grabinve@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Grace, Lee Ann - Director,
International Education[gracela@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Norvilitis, Jill - Assistant
Professor, Psychology [norviljm@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Polvinen, Elaine - Associate
Professor, Technology[polvinem@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Simmons, Richard - Coordinator and
Research Program Developer, Center for Health and Social Research [simmonrj@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Turkle, Edgar (Ted) - Director,
Research Foundation[turkleeh@buffalostate.edu] |
| |
Wieczorek, William - Director and
Professor, Center for Health and Social Research [wieczowf@buffalostate.edu] |
The Center for China Studies is
currently located at Classroom Building Room B310. The Center's phone number is
716-878-6328 and its FAX number is 716-878-4009. You can also reach the Center by email to
chinacenter@bscmail.buffalostate.edu.
For further and updated information about the Center, you may also visit the website at www.buffalostate.edu/~ccs. The CCS Newsletter
is currently bi-annual, one issue per semester. We distribute it to the Buffalo State
community electronically while send hard copies to selected individuals. If you know any
people who might be interested in reading the Newsletter but have not received it, please
contact us and let us know their email or mailing addresses. My best wishes to you all.
IV. Farewell Banquet for Three
Visiting Scholars from China
Zhang Jie
A farewell banquet in honor of three visiting scholars from China was
hosted by the Center with support from the Research Foundation at the Chang's Garden
restaurant, January 4, 2001. Present at the event were President Muriel Howard, Dean Larry
Flood of FNSS, Director Ted Turkle of the Research Foundation, all the consultants of the
Center, and several individuals who have contributed to our visiting scholars' experiences
at Buffalo State. The three out-going scholars were Dr. Lu Yongli of Beijing Normal
University, Dr. Jia Shuhua of Dalian Medical University, and Professor Ji Deyuan of the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
We thank them for their great contributions
to various projects on-campus during their stay here in Buffalo, and wish them good luck
in their academic endeavors when they are back in China.
V. Second Faculty Delegation to
Visit China in August 2001
Zhang Jie
Following last year's successful
faculty/staff delegation visit to China, the Center for China Studies is making
preliminary plans for another visit to the three Chinese universities during August 2001.
This trip will include official visits to Capital Normal University in Beijing, Xi'an
Foreign Language University in Xi'an, and Dalian Medical University in Dalian. All Buffalo
State faculty, staff, and administrators who are interested in China studies are eligible
for application, although preference will be given to those who have never been to China
and those who have a China related research project or agenda. A selection committee
composed of CCS consultants will review the applications and recommend a list of
participants. Interested individuals should contact the Center for China Studies at X6328
or chinacenter@bscmail.buffalostate.edu
for further information on the application procedure. The deadline for receipt of
applications will be announced at a later date.
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|
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II. Buffalo State Delegation Visited China in Summer 2000
William Wieczorek
During June of
2000, a Buffalo State College (BSC) delegation of administrators, faculty, and staff
conducted a groundbreaking trip to the People's Republic of China. The Buffalo State
College delegation visited three major cities in China (Beijing, Dalian, Xi'an) and was
hosted by one university in each city, although visits were made to several additional
institutions of higher education. In Beijing, the capital and cultural center of China,
the host was Capital Normal University, which is quite similar to Buffalo State College in
that it is a large, comprehensive institution with a major emphasis on teacher education.
In Dalian, a wealthy coastal city known for its highly successful economic development
zone, the delegation was hosted by Dalian Medical University, which already has a
collaborative program with Buffalo State College's Center for Health and Social Research.
The third city visited was Xi'an, the ancient capital of China known for its archeological
treasures, where Xi'an Foreign Language University was the host. A wealth of opportunities
for joint research, faculty exchanges, and student recruitment and/or exchanges were
apparent at each institution visited. Preliminary agreements to conduct exchanges and
joint research were signed at each of the three host universities. The pioneering nature
of this trip, especially the diverse composition of the delegation, is highly noteworthy.
Our Chinese hosts had never experienced a delegation of this size or composition. The
members of the delegation are: |
| |
Mr. Angelo Conorozzo, Center for the
Development of Human Services |
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Dr. Gordon Frazer, Great Lakes Center |
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Dr. Virginia Grabiner, Department of Sociology |
|
Dr. Thomas Kinsey, Interim Dean, Graduate
Education and Research |
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Dr. Jill Norvilitis, Department of Psychology |
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Ms. Elaine Polvinen, Department of Technology |
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Mr. Richard Simmons, Center for Health and
Social Research |
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Mr. Edgar Turkle, SUNY Research Foundation |
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Dr. William Wieczorek, Center for Health and
Social Research |
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Dr. Zhang Jie, Department of Sociology |
III. Overview of the Three Chinese Universities
Virginia Grabiner
Capital Normal University
Of the three universities Buffalo State has
relations with, Capital Normal, a comprehensive university, is most like Buffalo State.
Its major mission is the education of middle and secondary school teachers, so the
affinity was immediate. However, Capital Normal is significantly larger than Buffalo State
because it has a graduate school. It has eighteen departments and offers 21 undergraduate
majors. These are similar to the ones offered at Buffalo State, except that the various
languages that are taught have their own departments.
It was clear from this and our other
visits, language study is extremely important in Chinese education. All told, there are
nearly 18,000 students, approximately 7,300 of whom are undergraduates. It employs about
600 full-time faculty members. It also has an affiliated high school. Admission to this
school is highly sought after because that's one avenue for entry into Capital Normal. Its
graduates make up a large portion of the teachers in and around Beijing. Capital Normal is
very active in establishing research institutes and international exchanges like ours.
There are twenty-seven research centers/institutes and thirty-one exchange programs. While
touring the campus, we encountered a group of exchange students from England, hard at work
learning Chinese. Like many Chinese universities, the campus is self-contained. A wall
surrounds the campus and one enters through a wide, open, gate. Students can study, eat,
and shop on campus. While more spartan than Buffalo State College facilities, students and
faculty have access to modern computers and other technologies Website:http://www.cnu.edu.cn/english/english.htm
Dalian Medical University
Located on the eastern coast of northern
China, this university trains students in various medical sciences and medical associated
administrative professions.These specialties are more broadly defined than in the U.S. For
example, the university has a cosmetology college and a photography department as well as
the expected general training and specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology and
pharmacology. In recent years, the university has become very active in the establishment
of international exchanges and cooperation programs. It has established twenty-one
research institutes. Buffalo State's Center or Health and Social Research has joined
Dalian Medical in establishing the Institute of Behavioral Medicine. This has become an
important part of Buffalo State's association with Chinese institutions. Drs. William
Wieczorek and Zhang Jie are respectively co-director and associate director of that
institute and they are conducting major research projects on suicide and alcoholism in
China.
Website: http://www.dlmedu.edu.cn/english
Xi'an Foreign Language University
Located in the ancient city of central
China where the terra cottas were found, this school prepares Chinese students to teach
foreign languages and to work in tourism, international finance and trade, economic
cooperation and secretarial services. It also has an extensive Chinese study program for
international students. The Chinese student body numbers approximately 3,200 with a
faculty of about 450. As China's cooperation with the West has become increasingly
important, learning English has become a major part of Chinese education. Virtually all
elementary school children study English. The students we met at Xi'an were quite fluent
in English and anxious to practice their skills and learn about our country. The
possibilities for exchanges of students and faculty with this University are exciting
because it its orientation toward language and cultural studies.
Website:http://campus.fortunecity.com/princeton/321 |
