Skyline College may receive more students from an elite Chinese high school in the coming years. Principal Xiuying Zhang and selected students from Hebei No. 42 High School, Hebei Province, China visited the Skyline College campus on March 1, 2015. Hebei No.42 High School is one of the most prestigious and most international high schools in China, sending many of its graduates to colleges and universities overseas, including to Skyline College.
The visit was part of the 2015 Skyline College Executive Speaker Series hosted by the Skyline College Asian Studies Center in conjunction with the International Student Program (ISP) and organized by Asian Studies Professor, Hui Pate. Principal Zhang and her students were greeted by Wissem Bennani, ISP Manager, upon their arrival, and they started off with a campus tour guided by Roma Feng, ISP student assistant, and Xing Wei or “Star” – a current Skyline College international student and alumna of Hebei No.42 High School.
Following the campus tour, Principal Zhang gave a presentation about intercultural communication, stressing the importance of cultural exchange and encouraging students to study abroad. She also focused on the Chinese educational system, the challenges of intercultural communication, and her first-hand experience working with inbound foreign students and outbound Chinese students. After the presentation, students from Skyline College and Hebei No. 42 High School had an opportunity to network and socialize.
One student stated “it was a joy watching her share those experiences as well as insights with all of us.” Another student commented “I think that we really need to have more communication between China and America in order to shrink the distance between us, and also to eliminate those misunderstanding caused by our different cultural perspective.”
The Asian Studies Center and ISP will continue to provide international and cultural events and programs for Skyline College students, faculty and staff members and the greater Skyline College community. Please check out the ISP website and the Asian Studies Center at Skyline College to learn more about events like these.
Article by Hui Pate and Chikako Walker | Photo by Hui Pate
