Arthur Zhang knows a lot about Chinese languages, arts and culture.
He should. Zhang is a visiting professor from Huizhou University, located in Huizhou, China, a riverside city with a population of about 600,000 people. He is the latest professor from Huizhou University to teach Chinese language, culture and arts at University of Jamestown.
UJ and Huizhou University renewed a cooperative agreement Tuesday, Oct. 18, that will promote activities like student and staff exchanges, transfer programs for degrees and other credentials and collaborative research projects.
The original agreement was for five years and this renewal agreement is good for an additional five years, according to Tena Lawrence, vice president of marketing for UJ.
UJ President Robert Badal said Huizhou University officials came here for the signing ceremony to explore areas for further collaboration between the two universities.
“We both have schools of engineering, so we’re exploring how we can work together to improve each other’s programs,” Badal said.
Zhang is currently teaching Chinese to about 20 UJ students. The students are also learning about Chinese culture and Chinese calligraphy.
Lynn Ogden, a senior adviser for Huizhou University’s International Affairs Department, said there has been a cooperative agreement between the two universities since 2009. He said staff exchanges have also worked out well for both universities. The next step will be more student exchanges.