Bluffton, Ohio -
Bluffton University students have experienced higher education in China, and now it's time for the Americans to return the favor.
16 educators from China West Normal University in Nanchong China made the trip to Bluffton University. They're here for a week-long training institute which will expose them to higher education practices in the states. China West administrators were impressed by the number of Bluffton students volunteering their time to help faculty and staff with teaching and research. They hope Chinese students will be inspired to do the same.
"Back home we should try to motivate our students to do more spontaneous and voluntary work for the university and also for their own benefit," said West Normal Senior Administrator Zhou Yong.
China West is three times the size of Bluffton, but the differences between the two schools don't stop there. Bluffton's Director of Cross Cultural Programs Lynda Nyce says students should travel abroad to experience those differences instead of judging education and culture by their own country's standards.
In the future, both universities are aiming for students to study for a whole semester or year in either country. Bluffton students plan to travel to China as early as May 2013.
