Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe traveled to Beijing, China during the week of June 16 with a goal of establishing educational collaborations with Minzu University of China (MUC) and the Communication University of China (CUC).
Furst-Bowe met with officials at both universities including the MUC Vice President Dr. Song Min and the directors of international relations, graduate schools and faculty representatives. She is familiar with MUC as her previous institution, the University of Wisconsin-Stout, had several agreements with MUC where Minzu students would complete their bachelor’s degrees at UW-Stout.
“Both universities are interested in collaborating with SIUE in the areas of faculty and student exchanges, dual degree programs and hosting performance groups,” Furst-Bowe said. SIUE has signed a collaboration agreement with MUC and plans to sign an agreement with CUC after SIUE faculty have had an opportunity to review curriculum during the Fall 2014 semester.
“As two of our institutional focal points are to not only increase international student recruitment, but also to encourage study abroad by SIUE students, it is important for SIUE to aggressively pursue these academic collaborations,” Furst-Bowe added.
MUC is the top university in China specifically for ethnic minorities and aims to be one of the best universities of its kind in the world. With the strong support of the Chinese government, it has developed rapidly over the years. It is currently one of the most prestigious universities in China in the fields of ethnology, anthropology, ethnic economies, regional economics, religion studies, history, dance and fine arts. It is commonly regarded as one of the most respected institutes for higher learning in China.
Since its establishment in 1954, CUC has trained numerous high-level professionals for the Chinese media industry, and made a significant contribution to the nation’s media business and economy. It has been honored as the “cradle of the nation’s broadcasting and television talents.” CUC provides undergraduate, master and doctoral degree courses for full-time students, and diploma training courses for media professionals.
As one of the top public universities in China, CUC is ranked No.1 in media education and No.1 among China’s language universities. According to the 2012 China Discipline Ranking approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education, CUC is ranked first in both “Journalism and Communication” and “Drama Film and Television.”
Photo: SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe (left) with Dr. Song Min, vice president of Minzu University of China.