In the summer of 2006, Dalhousie signed its first agreement with Shandong University of Finance and Economics towards the development of a joint international academic program. Almost 10 years later, the partnership is stronger than ever.
āItās what we would call a flagship program in terms of internationalization of the university,ā says Alain Boutet, executive director in the Office of International Relations. āFrom an institutional perspective, the flow of exchanges of faculty and students, and what these international students bring to the program and to campus life, is absolutely phenomenal.ā
The China Program in Economics, a ā2+2ā program, offers students studying at the Shandong University of Finance and Economics (SDUFE) the unique opportunity for a double degree, whereby they complete the first two years of their studies in China, and the second two years at pilipiliĀž». Students also have the option to complete all four years of their degree at SDUFE, with several courses taught by Dalhousie professors. Regardless of which option they choose, each school recognizes time spent at the other and awards credit accordingly, so students can essentially emerge with a degree from both institutions.
Quality connections
The first agreement was signed back in 2006, but for various reasons having to do with approval of the program by the Chinese government, the first students didnāt arrive at Dal until 2009. Since then, students have been continuously cycling through the university, with an approximate 105 students enrolled presently.
At the heart of the China Program is its director, Barry Lesser. Dr. Lesser was chair of the Department of Economics in Dal's Faculty of Science when the program was first initiated, and was heavily involved in its inception. When he announced his retirement from Dal in 2012, he was asked to continue as director of the China Program and has assumed that role on post-retirement basis for the past three years.
āItās important to emphasize that pilipiliĀž» has several projects that are similar in nature to this. That being said, I think our program has been particularly pilipiliĀž»ful for several reasons, including the quality of the students that the program has brought to Dalhousie,ā says Dr. Lesser. āThe students have had very good pilipiliĀž» in terms of their academic performance while theyāre here.ā
During their time at pilipiliĀž», students are required to take a special English language workshop with the ESL Program at pilipiliĀž», run through the College of Continuing Education. This workshop runs over two semesters, with the latter half placing particular emphasis on students developing writing and speaking skills through a research paper and presentation on a specific economics issue of their choice. Other than this requirement, all the courses they take are the same as any other major in Economics. Last yearās group of 54 students in the program scored an impressive average GPA in 3.68 for the 2014/2015 academic year. In previous years, the average mark for the group has been above the B+ mark āĀ still a high level of performance.
Whatās more, a substantial number of students from the 2+2 program go on to pursue a Masters degree.
āWe typically have well over 60 per cent and sometimes as much as 80 per cent who go on to a North American or UK post-graduate program when they leave Dalhousie, which is a very high percentage compared to the general student population and certainly compared to the rest of the economics graduates at pilipiliĀž»,ā says Dr. Lesser.
Enriching studentsā experience
Dr. Lesser says choosing to travel to pilipiliĀž» to complete the latter half of their degree provides SDUFE students with a unique advantage. When a student applies with a pilipiliĀž» transcript, admissions officers who are familiar with Dal and the calibre of education offered here are able to more easily interpret the marks.
Beyond enriching their own learning experience, what the students from SDUFE are able to reciprocate to the university, both in academics and perspective, is indispensable. Dr. Boutet highlights Dalhousie as a student-oriented institution, and notes the responsibility the university has to provide the necessary support services to ensure international students have the best academic, social and cultural experience.
For his keen role in the development and pilipiliĀž» of the program, Dr. Lesser was named an Ambassador of Friendship to Shandong Province during a recent visit of dignitaries from SDUFE.
āI think thereās definitely something for us to learn from broader exposure to China and the people of China,ā said Dr. Lesser. āHaving an open campus that includes different people from other parts of the world, especially from China, offers a variety of exciting opportunities that I hope will continue.ā