2008 Woodie Awards
Conference strives to increase Chinese education
Annie Casciani
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Campus
More than 70 superintendents and principals from around the state of Ohio gathered Friday, Oct. 26 to learn about Chinese educational programs at the first Confucius Institute conference held at Miami University's Marcum Conference Center.
Miami's Confucius Institute was established in August, and is the first of its kind in Ohio and one of 26 in the United States.
"Our mission of the Confucius Institute is to encourage and expand Chinese culture offerings on campus," Institute Director Quanyu Huang said. "We hope to offer outreach programs to help the community and region in learning how to adapt to a changing global economy."
The theme of Friday's conference echoed the institute's goals and the need to incorporate Chinese education before American students are unable to adapt to a changing global society.
"There is a gap between educational offerings and business reality," Huang said. "Many big businesses are doing business with companies in Asia. If (Americans) don't change, the world will change and we will be in trouble."
The conference was also used to try and stimulate interest in Chinese education in the Cincinnati area. Forty percent of the participants were from the southwestern region of Ohio, according to Huang.
"There is only one school district in this area providing Chinese programs, but there are 48 schools in Ohio that offer Chinese," Huang said.
The only school district in southwestern Ohio offering Chinese is Winton Woods City Schools. Camille Nasbe, superintendent of the district, spoke at the conference.
Members of the Confucius Institute hoped that by bringing superintendents and principals from around the state to Miami's campus, it would encourage local school districts to offer Chinese programs, according to Huang.
Roger Jenkins, dean of the Farmer School of Business, and Karen Schilling, dean of the College of Arts and Science, were two of the conference's 12 speakers.
Jenkins and Schilling were both recently involved in the growth of Miami's Asian-focused educational developments.
Miami's Confucius Institute was established in August, and is the first of its kind in Ohio and one of 26 in the United States.
"Our mission of the Confucius Institute is to encourage and expand Chinese culture offerings on campus," Institute Director Quanyu Huang said. "We hope to offer outreach programs to help the community and region in learning how to adapt to a changing global economy."
The theme of Friday's conference echoed the institute's goals and the need to incorporate Chinese education before American students are unable to adapt to a changing global society.
"There is a gap between educational offerings and business reality," Huang said. "Many big businesses are doing business with companies in Asia. If (Americans) don't change, the world will change and we will be in trouble."
The conference was also used to try and stimulate interest in Chinese education in the Cincinnati area. Forty percent of the participants were from the southwestern region of Ohio, according to Huang.
"There is only one school district in this area providing Chinese programs, but there are 48 schools in Ohio that offer Chinese," Huang said.
The only school district in southwestern Ohio offering Chinese is Winton Woods City Schools. Camille Nasbe, superintendent of the district, spoke at the conference.
Members of the Confucius Institute hoped that by bringing superintendents and principals from around the state to Miami's campus, it would encourage local school districts to offer Chinese programs, according to Huang.
Roger Jenkins, dean of the Farmer School of Business, and Karen Schilling, dean of the College of Arts and Science, were two of the conference's 12 speakers.
Jenkins and Schilling were both recently involved in the growth of Miami's Asian-focused educational developments.
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