US-China Student Forum 2017

June 2 – 16, 2017

Organizers:

Office of the Provost, College of Arts & Sciences, and the Confucius Institute,

the University of Delaware

College of Humanities, Xiamen University

College of Communications, East China Normal University

 

1. Objective

College student delegates from both the United States and China will attend a fifteen-day forum to be held at Xiamen University and East China Normal University, China on June 2-16, 2017 to discuss and debate a variety of topics of social and cultural significance relating to globalization and global higher education. The forum aims to advance cross-cultural cooperation, increase understanding and inclusiveness, and promote exchanges between students in both countries. The ultimate objective is to initiate dialogue across the Chinese and American cultures and deepen friendship between the two countries.

2. Theme

The forum will be organized annually and will be held on a rotating basis on the campus of participating institutions: the University of Delaware, Xiamen University, and East China Normal University. Each year the forum will have a major theme. This year’s theme is: Global Higher Education in the 21 Century. The forum discusses and debates the following important issues that concern educators and students in higher education:

• What is the significance of globalization?
• What is global higher education and its future? How to better serve students’ needs and provide them with a knowledge that would prepare them to compete globally?
• How to engage students in international education and research and promote cross-border collaboration?
• What is the relationship between globalization as a force to advance the betterment of humankind and global economy as a market-driven force for the world of business?
• What is the relationship between the global and the local? In other words, what does it mean to explore global opportunities, while trying to get more connected to local communities?
• What should an ideal global education curriculum look like?
• How does global education impact your career development and planning?

3. Format

The forum consists of the following components:

1. Lectures – student delegates (five from UD; five from XMU; and five from ECNU) from both countries will attend an eight-day lecture series, featuring well-known UD, XMU & ECNU faculty and scholars in the field. Lectures will focus on issues of critical significance relating to the general theme of the forum. Lectures will be given in the morning. Forum participants will have group discussion sessions in the afternoon.
2. Cultural excursions (two days) – student delegates will visit sites of historical significance in Shanghai and Xiamen and conduct field research.
3. Open forum: Debate and Presentation (two days) – Each student delegate will give a public presentation on a topic of his/her own choice in relation to the general theme of the forum.
4. Participation in the 2017 Shanghai International College Student TV Film Festival (two days) – lecture series, panel discussion, interviewing, etc.
5. Logistics
6. American students will stay with local Chinese students of both XMU & ECNU in their international student hotel. The housing and accommodation costs will be covered by Xiamen University and East China Normal University respectively.

• Program housing schedule: June 2 – 9 at Xiamen University; June 10 – 16 at East China Normal University

1. The Confucius Institute & College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Delaware will be responsible for their student delegates’ international airfare and domestic airfare (in China). Local travel expenses for cultural excursions during the forum will be the participants’ responsibility.
2. Meals for both Chinese and American student delegates during the forum (June 2-16) will be covered by Xiamen University and East China Normal University respectively.
3. The Confucius Institute at the University of Delaware will oversee the organizational work and coordinate with Xiamen University and East China Normal University in terms of recruitment, interview, and all other program-related activities including lecture series, group sessions, cultural excursions, public forum, etc.
4. UD student delegates

Five UD student representatives will be selected primarily from the College of Arts & Sciences, Honors Program, and World Scholars Program whose scholarly interests focus more on humanities and social studies.

Xiamen University and East China Normal University will each be responsible for recruiting their own student representatives.