EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Mary Weishaar, PhD, executive director of the Office of International Affairs, and Keqin Gu, PhD, distinguished research professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering within the School of Engineering, recently returned from visiting partner institutions in China Nov. 4-8.
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), of which SIUE is a member, and the China Center for International Educational Exchange (CCIEE) collaborate to oversee the Sino-American 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program. The program provides Chinese undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to study at an AASCU institution. The Chinese Ministry of Education recognizes it as a Program of Excellence. Approximately 100 Chinese institutions currently participate by annually sending 300 students to 30 U.S. institutions.
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The visit served to enhance SIUE’s partnership with Changshu Institute of Technology (CIT) by meeting a new cohort of 10 students, who will study robotics at SIUE in January 2021, as part of the dual degree program. In January 2020, SIUE begins its CIT relationship by welcoming 21 new students from CIT.
In addition, discussions to facilitate administering the dual degree program were held with administrators of CCIEE in Beijing and at a new partner institution, Beijing Information Science and Technology University (BISTU).
BISTU is a major national engineering-focused university in Beijing. The university is also part of CCIEE’s 1+2+1 Dual Degree Programs.
“SIUE and BISTU share similar strong engineering programs and a desire to internationalize their campuses,” Weishaar said. “The program will result in new students studying engineering in a dual degree program as SIUE students study with Chinese students. Meanwhile, Chinese students help increase SIUE students’ cultural competence and international understanding in support of SIUE’s mission to develop learners who ‘shape a changing world.’ There is also great potential for faculty collaboration.”
BISTU plans a visit to SIUE in December.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 13,000.
