The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior welcomed 12 visiting scholars on Sunday, Aug. 10, from Northwest Normal University (NWNU) in Lanzhou, China, and Shenyang Aerospace University (SAU) in Shenyang, China.
The scholars will live on the SIUE campus during the fall semester and participate in the School’s International Training Program in Pedagogy. According to Dr. Mary Weishaar, associate dean in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, the program is focused on pedagogy – how to teach in an American university.
The program also enhances internationalization efforts at SIUE to help students compete globally, provide an opportunity for faculty to form international relationships and allow the visiting scholars to fully experience SIUE’s rich American higher education culture. Developing relationships with NWNU and SAU will potentially lead to study abroad opportunities for SIUE students and enrolled students from China at SIUE in the future.
This is the third year Chinese scholars have visited SIUE as participants in this program. This year’s scholars are from a variety of fields, including chemistry, computer engineering, business, environmental sciences, physics, literature, microbiology, curriculum and instruction, music education, instructional technology, and English as a Second Language. Unlike the first two years in which the visiting scholars were from one institution, this year’s scholars are from two institutions.
“The scholars observe in classes in their areas of expertise and within the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior,” Weishaar explained. “The class within our School serves as an observation for teaching, plus background content on the organization and cultural context of American education.
“All scholars also attend a weekly seminar class that focuses on pedagogy, along with community outreach and cultural activities.”
The benefits of the program reach far beyond the learning opportunities for the visiting scholars. SIUE faculty form international relationships with NWNU and SAU faculty for scholarship, research and service activities.
One SIUE faculty member was recently awarded a Fulbright Senior Specialist grant to teach at Northwest Normal University. The visiting scholars present in the Lifelong Learning Series offered through the SIUE Department of Educational Outreach and interact with local school personnel.