Westminster College Hosts 2nd Annual American Summer Leadership Program for Chinese Students
Westminster College’s Center for Engaging the World (CEW), the college’s global studies and diplomacy arm, is hosting the 2nd Annual American Summer Leadership Program (July 18-28, 2013).
The program is designed for visiting international students to gain a greater understanding of American culture, history, politics, and higher education.
“This is one way Westminster is expanding its global footprint,” says CEW director Dr. Kurt Jefferson.
This year 23 university and high school students from Beijing and Anqing, China, are attending.
“We know that colleges like Westminster bring value to Fulton and mid-Missouri by offering these programs as they help Missourians learn more about places like China,” says Jefferson. “And the Chinese, along with Americans, are defining geo-political and economic realities for the globe in the twenty-first century.”
Students take course sessions (on campus with Westminster faculty) on American culture, history, society and advanced English as a Second Language. Students visit St. Louis, Kansas City, and the State Capitol in Jefferson City, MO.
One hour of credit is offered if the program is passed successfully.
“It is important that Americans learn more about the globe as more students from outside the United States will be attending schools like Westminster in the years to come,” says Jefferson.
In 2014, American high school, Turkish high school students, and Chinese university and high school students will combine on the Westminster campus to create a new “Global Summer Experience.”
“Our 2013 program is a template for next year,” says Jefferson. “We believe our campus will benefit from the global interdependence that has arrived in education. Next year Westminster’s global reach will stretch into western Asia as well.”
Westminster College is the fourth most diverse small liberal arts college in the United States. The College has 170 students from 70 countries and it broke Westminster records in summer 2013 with over 100 students participating in study abroad programs in the CEW.
