NSU Professor Attends Professional Cultural Exchange in China

TAHLEQUAH - A Northeastern State University professor recently participated in a People To People Ambassador Program Mathematics Education Delegation to China.

NSU Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. Wendell Wyatt was one of 35 delegates, representing schools and universities across the country, selected for the professional and cultural exchange.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. It was truly an amazing, enriching experience, both personally and professionally," said Wyatt. "The people in China were very gracious and friendly. Beijing is undergoing a construction boom; there were construction cranes in sight all the time. The city is also preparing for the 2008 Olympics and we saw the stadium under construction."

The trip, held Sept. 3-15, provided Wyatt the opportunity to see the educational opportunities offered to Chinese students in various locations, including Beijing, Guilin, and Shanghai.

In Beijing, the group visited with representatives of the Chinese Mathematics Society, faculty and students at the Beijing Normal School, and Beijing No. 123 Middle School. Wyatt presented "Mathematics Concepts Made Easy with Presentation Software" at Beijing Normal University.

The group visited Guangxi Normal University and Guilin Sunny School while in Guilin, learning about math practices in China for grade school and college students.

Wyatt met with high-level district administrators in Shanghai, who presented papers on various aspects of mathematics education, before touring a nearby public middle school.

"The cultural component of the trip was truly outstanding," said Wyatt. "We walked around Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and along the Great Wall, cruised the Li River with its rare, breathtaking topography and visited an art museum that had only been open to foreigners for two years, and attended a performance of the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe."

People to People was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to allow people of different nations the opportunity to take part in cultural exchange programs to help prevent misunderstanding, misperceptions, and resulting suspicions.