Fall 1998
Vol 7 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
Signposts for the New Millennium
Year 2000: Same, but Different
Education in China
Chinese Higher Education, In My Eyes
Fibber McGee's Closet: Peeking Around the Corner into the Next Millennium
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Education in China -- A Challenge for the Future and a Chance for Support
Carnella Hardin, GCC
During the summers of 1997 and 1998, the Maricopa Community College International Studies Program offered an opportunity for Maricopa faculty to participate in a six week program at Wuyi University, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, Peoples Republic of China. Maricopa faculty, or fellows as we were called, taught classes in their field of expertise and received information taught by Chinese faculty on subjects such as Chinese culture, history, religion, philosophy, education, medicine, law and government. Each Maricopa faculty was partnered with a Chinese faculty to assist with classroom instructions, cultural and language barriers, and basically to help Maricopa fellows become acclimated to the new environment.
The attached article is an example of how one country's educational system is being challenged by its people to meet their needs in the next millennium. The article analyzes problems within the Chinese higher educational system and offers suggestions for improvement. It is written by a faculty member in the Business and Economic Management Department at Wuyi University. It illustrates a strong concern for improvements in the quality of academic studies offered to students, and it questions the teaching methodology required by the Chinese government.
Among the recommendations is to open Chinese higher education to the world. the writer's strategy is to introduce competitiveness into Chinese higher education by encouraging an exchange of foreign teachers into Chinese universities. The strategy would expand the studentís knowledge and also provide a more liberal teaching methodology within the system.
While at Wuyi University, Maricopa faculty interacted with students and faculty who, unlike their forefathers, are less complacent with the governmentís control over their lives and are ready for a change in policies. The change will take planning, time and support from other parts of the world. This unedited article expresses the written concerns and frustration of the Chinese higher educational system as seen by one of the Chinese faculty members. The publication of the article is presented in the spirit of free speech. Its content does not reflect the opinions of the Maricopa Community College fellows.