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Visiting Scholar to CQUPT – Chongqing China

Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications         http://english.cqupt.edu.cn/

    My trip to CQUPT (Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications) was an amazing GFU and teaching opportunity.  It also tangibly demonstrated the positive impact exchange programs have on students, professors, and staff. Although I have been to China over 20 times before, it was with some trepidation to go to China for one month as a Visiting Scholar representing GFU. I wanted to meet not only CQUPT’s expectations but also professionally and personally represent the qualities of GFU. I provided a proposed teaching program in advance (attached). Once at CQUPT with my supervising professor, we selected two topics: Cross-Border Research and International Business Strategy. Once the teaching plan was complete and accepted, I was more relaxed as these were topics I have taught before and believed I could teach competently.

    The first day after arrival I met with school administrators and the Dean. The balance of the day was spent getting a campus tour, walking to the Old Gate and the New Gate, finding where my teaching classrooms would be, finding where to have lunch and dinner at the school canteen, meeting with my supervising professor to discuss teaching schedules, and settling into my on-campus international teachers’ dorm. Each classroom included a Windows computer with PowerPoint, Word and Internet access, a Projector for presentations, and either a Whiteboard or large Chalk Boards. ,

    I have lived in dorms in China at other universities and lived on campus at CQUPT in the International Faculty dorm. I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations. I was given an office space with a computer and had good Internet access to work in my room.

    I was scheduled to teach eight classes a week on Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday. These included two topics. The first was Cross-Border Research and Thesis Proposal preparation.

    My class consisted of seventeen students from the CQUPT International School including students from China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, and Rwanda. Each student had been chosen from their country for a scholarship to attend CQUPT.

The students were in their first year although all had some prior university education. In the following year, students are to complete a Research Thesis.

To that end, the supervising professor Renée wanted the students to learn how to conduct primary and secondary academic research. Interestingly, after my first week of teaching, I often had other students attend my classes as well.

    Since it had been successful in other programs I have taught, I decided that the final week of classes would include a seven minute Proposal Defense by each student including their dissertation topic, research question, proposed methodology, key definitions, potential limitations, and initial references. Eleven of the seventeen students ended up preparing and presenting on the final day of class. I felt this was a well accepted and popular ending. The supervising professor, attended along with one of her senior classes, CQUPT students who attended the George Fox University summer program, and two international teaching professors from Arizona and New York.

    Student presentations were a professional final capstone at the end of class after four weeks and 16 classes.

The second course was International Business Strategy. As a final project, groups of two or three students were to select a public company to conduct additional research. Using strategy models presented throughout the class, they presented a twenty minute overview in the final week. They analyzed the company’s international strategy and made recommendations for the company’s future direction. Many of these international companies already distribute goods or services to the students’ country or may enter at a future date. In closing, students were to discuss how this company and its strategy might apply within their own country.

In addition, I was asked to provide some additional lectures in selected subjects in other professors’ classes. I provided a list of suggested topics including Academic Research, International Project Management, Business Leadership & Ethics, Cross-Border Business & Cultural Differences, and Trust & e-Commerce.

    I would highly recommend other professors attend CQUPT as a Visiting Scholar as it is a rewarding and enlightening experience for all. Prior GFU students contacted me while I was there, and we had several dinners together and trips into the city. It was apparent to me that their time at George Fox positively touched their lives. It's a beautiful, mountainous campus with 25,000 students, and the international dorm for professors keeps the Visiting Scholar in contact with the students, the campus experience, and other Visiting Scholars. PS: The cafeteria fo od is excellent

    I would like to thank Annette Nemetz and GFU for this opportunity and concurrent teaching of CQUPT and other International students here at George Fox. I firmly believe that our values travel with us and create goodwill for us all.