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Foreign students about to become Chinese masters
By Xu Wenwen |
June 13, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A dozen international students from Zhejiang University will graduate at the end of the month in a rare master's program. Xu Wenwen learns more about the specialist course and the studious foreigners who have been finding out more about China.
It's the season of graduation, and 12 foreign students on a China studies master's program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, the first of its kind on Chinese mainland, are going to graduate at the end of the month.
The prestigious Zhejiang University, as the only university on the mainland that provides a master's course in China studies to foreigners, recruited the overseas students in 2010.
The students, hailing from Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Costa Rica, are graduates or masters from Zhejiang University's sister schools, including the Technical University of Berlin, Humboldt-University of Berlin and Free University of Berlin.
China studies, unlike Sinology, not only provides understanding of the Chinese people and their culture, but also focuses on the country's contemporary issues and historic development.
There are some bachelor's programs in China studies in the country, but Zhejiang University is the only one to offer a master's program.
Its curriculum embraces knowledge of contemporary China in its language, modern history, political and legal institutions, socio-economic development and public management, while courses such as ancient Chinese language and literature are not necessarily compulsory.
"China studies sprang up internationally a couple of years ago, but on Chinese mainland it has just began," says Li Yuan, supervisor of the China studies master's program, and associate professor of the university.
"The study was generated due to the rise of China's international position," explains Fan Jieping, director of Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Zhejiang University.
"The background is that China is eager to convey its real image to international society, while international society is in need of understanding of Chinese culture's core value and revising the recognition of contemporary China," he adds.
"Different from its counterparts, the university offers foreign students an opportunity of facing and experiencing the real China," says professor Li.
At Zhejiang University, the courses are taught mostly in English and German and, much lesser, in Chinese. All of the teachers of the program have experience of foreign study.
The length of schooling takes one to two years and students are required to study at least 12 courses.
There are four phases from which students can choose as the subjects they concentrate on, including social development and public policies, business and economic development, cultural heritage and advanced China studies.
So, what did these foreign students exactly learn in the past year and how are they performing?
This can be answered via their master thesis, which should be completed in English no less than 6,000 words, with a Chinese abstract no less than 1,000 characters.
They view the country with their unique angle, or analyze phenomenon by incorporating their own conditions.
Felicia Chacón from Costa Rica, writes her thesis "The Influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chinese Cuisine."
"In China, I often hear people talking about the flavors and nature of various foods and I could see how the foods constantly changed according to the season," says Chacón.
"It is fascinating how, regarding food consumption, Western and Chinese cultures have different ways of understanding it," she adds. "And it reflects the different ways how Western and Chinese people deal with things."
Stefanie H?vermann from Germany entitles her paper "Influencing Factors on Second Language Acquisition of European Overseas Chinese" which studies the migration aspect via language, while Olea Bannikova from Ukraine writes "Project Method in Teaching German as a Foreign Language in China" focusing on teaching methods, area studies and intercultural communication.
Five among the 12 students are double-major masters from the Technical University of Berlin, whose thesis are evaluated by teachers at Zhejiang University as well as the Technical University of Berlin.
Currently, the university is recruiting students for the next academic year, and the number enrolled is now nearly 50.
It's the season of graduation, and 12 foreign students on a China studies master's program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, the first of its kind on Chinese mainland, are going to graduate at the end of the month.
The prestigious Zhejiang University, as the only university on the mainland that provides a master's course in China studies to foreigners, recruited the overseas students in 2010.
The students, hailing from Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Costa Rica, are graduates or masters from Zhejiang University's sister schools, including the Technical University of Berlin, Humboldt-University of Berlin and Free University of Berlin.
China studies, unlike Sinology, not only provides understanding of the Chinese people and their culture, but also focuses on the country's contemporary issues and historic development.
There are some bachelor's programs in China studies in the country, but Zhejiang University is the only one to offer a master's program.
Its curriculum embraces knowledge of contemporary China in its language, modern history, political and legal institutions, socio-economic development and public management, while courses such as ancient Chinese language and literature are not necessarily compulsory.
"China studies sprang up internationally a couple of years ago, but on Chinese mainland it has just began," says Li Yuan, supervisor of the China studies master's program, and associate professor of the university.
"The study was generated due to the rise of China's international position," explains Fan Jieping, director of Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Zhejiang University.
"The background is that China is eager to convey its real image to international society, while international society is in need of understanding of Chinese culture's core value and revising the recognition of contemporary China," he adds.
"Different from its counterparts, the university offers foreign students an opportunity of facing and experiencing the real China," says professor Li.
At Zhejiang University, the courses are taught mostly in English and German and, much lesser, in Chinese. All of the teachers of the program have experience of foreign study.
The length of schooling takes one to two years and students are required to study at least 12 courses.
There are four phases from which students can choose as the subjects they concentrate on, including social development and public policies, business and economic development, cultural heritage and advanced China studies.
So, what did these foreign students exactly learn in the past year and how are they performing?
This can be answered via their master thesis, which should be completed in English no less than 6,000 words, with a Chinese abstract no less than 1,000 characters.
They view the country with their unique angle, or analyze phenomenon by incorporating their own conditions.
Felicia Chacón from Costa Rica, writes her thesis "The Influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chinese Cuisine."
"In China, I often hear people talking about the flavors and nature of various foods and I could see how the foods constantly changed according to the season," says Chacón.
"It is fascinating how, regarding food consumption, Western and Chinese cultures have different ways of understanding it," she adds. "And it reflects the different ways how Western and Chinese people deal with things."
Stefanie H?vermann from Germany entitles her paper "Influencing Factors on Second Language Acquisition of European Overseas Chinese" which studies the migration aspect via language, while Olea Bannikova from Ukraine writes "Project Method in Teaching German as a Foreign Language in China" focusing on teaching methods, area studies and intercultural communication.
Five among the 12 students are double-major masters from the Technical University of Berlin, whose thesis are evaluated by teachers at Zhejiang University as well as the Technical University of Berlin.
Currently, the university is recruiting students for the next academic year, and the number enrolled is now nearly 50.
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