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Chinese Summer Camp Students Receive Warm Welcome at Mississippi College


MC Vice President for Academic Affairs Ron Howard and Office of Global Education staff members welcome the visiting students from China this summer.

Chinese students at Mississippi College are making the most of their brief summer stay on the Clinton campus by learning English and studying American culture.

Their 10-day visit began July 21 with a dinner at the B.C. Rogers Student Center and in the days ahead they are constantly hitting the books and taking notes. They’re also learning from guest speakers, MC professors in several departments, including music, Christian Studies, communication, history and biology.

The group taking part in the 2014 Intensive English Program Camp includes 18 students from Central China Normal University, and two each from Zibo Vocational College and a college in Taiwan. Na Li, a professor of the School of Information Technology at Central China Normal University, accompanied the students during their USA visit from mid-July through early August.

While down South, the students will visit New Orleans, test their skills at an obstacle course in metro Jackson, and taste Southern cooking, including barbecue dishes, at the home of MC Global Education Office Director Mei-Chi Piletz.

Some of the visitors plan to play table tennis Friday afternoon at MC’s Alumni Gym. Led by outstanding Chinese student-athletes, Mississippi College’s table tennis team has been ranked No. 2 in North America the past three seasons.

MC Vice President for Academic Affairs Ron Howard, who made a trip to China recently with President Lee Royce, was among the school leaders making the Chinese visitors feel right at home.

“We really enjoyed welcoming the students,” says Jenny Price, immigration specialist at MC’s Office of Global Education. She chatted with the delegation about their recent visit to San Francisco and other California cities. Following their MC studies that wrap up August 1, the Chinese visitors travel to Washington, D.C., Boston and New York through August 8.

Collaborating with Central China Normal University and sister institutions, Mississippi College hosted a similar summer camp for the first time last year.

MC and Central China Normal University have partnered as sister institutions the past five years. This summer’s visitors on the Clinton campus include undergraduates, graduate students and two doctoral students.

The students are improving their English by listening, speaking the language and enhancing their writing skills during classes in Jennings Hall.

Thanks to this educational partnership, Mississippi College will send four undergraduate students to study at Central China Normal University during the 2014-15 academic year.