NSU's Cambiano speaks at Weifang anniversary celebration

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--A recent trip to China expanded cultural learning for Northeastern State University, Chinese educators and students. Dr. Ron Cambiano, special assistant to the president, recently visited to Weifang University in Shandong, China, to discuss the academic, cultural and student exchange partnership between both institutions.

Over the last five years Chinese universities have really opened up and it is clear that the countrys educational horizons are expanding, he said of his Oct. 11-18 trip. It is my understanding that NSU is the only foreign institution with which Weifang has an agreement.

Cambiano, NSU assistant professor and special assistant to the president, was invited to speak as a representative of Northeastern during Weifang Universitys 60th anniversary celebration. In his speech before approximately 30,000 people, he said he had met a lifelong ambition to see China and spoke of the importance of cooperation in educating students.

I had many conversations with professors and students about the U.S., our university and the nature of our partnership, Cambiano said. They view the American university system as foremost in the world. In China, they recognize the quality of education within our system and embrace it. In China, you feel a reverence for education. They have an attitude of genuine respect for education and anyone involved with it, and that was overwhelming.

Demand at Chinese universities for diversification and internationalization of faculty, students and programs creates opportunities for U.S. institutions to offer a transcontinental facet to their students educations, Cambiano said.

The international cooperation is foremost in the thinking of the administration at Weifang, he said. From our perspective, it is clear to us and our students that we have a responsibility to prepare this generation for future challenges. Globalization isn't confined to travel. With the Internet, Skype and digital devices the world is shrinking. Interaction is crucial.

Four NSU students Madison Hayes of Muskogee, Haley Stocks of Tahlequah and Lindsey Taylor and Rachel Taylor of Park Hill visited Weifang in October to take language, history and culture courses. A fifth, graduate student Elaina Ross of Tulsa, is spending the fall 2011 term at Weifang teaching English. A further purpose of their visits is to encourage Chinese students to attend NSU. They are in China with the assistance of CIBT Education Group Inc., a Canada-based education management company.

NSU and CIBT operate a Global Learning Center on NSUs Broken Arrow campus, the companys first in the United States. The centers purpose is to allow students in Asia to begin international studies in their home countries and transfer accumulated credits to the GLC at NSUBA. By transferring, a student from Asia can later enroll in a degree program at NSU.

Our partnerships with Weifang and CIBT provide a tremendous opportunity for our students to learn and understand, Cambiano said. When I was speaking with our students, I could tell that their lives had been changed by this experience. I was too. When they return, they can stimulate conversation with friends and other students about their time in China and the potential it provided them for tomorrows world.

The hosts also expressed gracious appreciation to Cambiano for the academic and cultural exchange facilitated by the institutions partnership.

I don't think I can adequately describe the sense of honor and responsibility that I felt, he said. As representative of the university, it was important that I conveyed and they understood the impact of the collaboration. I left with the feeling that our universities are coming together to prepare the future leaders of tomorrow.