Visiting administrators from the Shanghai Pudong New Area Personnel Bureau

CSUF Welcomes Chinese Visitors

Administrators Attend Six-Month Training Program

November 5, 2007

By Pam McLaren

Three groups of Chinese administrators are expanding their knowledge and experiences as they spend the semester thousands of miles from home.

Two of the groups are on campus for six months, while the third is here for three months taking part in public administration training programs offered through Cal State Fullerton’s University Extended Education.

The advanced training includes classes on the structure of American government, human resources, public finance, public health, community developemtn and environmental protection, says Arthur Wang, program manager of international programs-Asia.

As part of their training, the 53 visitors are visiting government agencies, school districts and other regional offices, as well as conducting fieldwork.

Eighteen of the visiting administrators are from the Shanghai Pudong New Area Personnel Bureau. Fourteen visitors are from Shanghai’s Luwan District and an additional 21 are from Wuhan Organization Department. All three groups will be on campus through January.

In addition, three other groups have been attending short-term training at Cal State Fullerton.

Teachers from the Nanjing Education Bureau are taking part in a three-week program on the American education system and public school management. In addition to lectures, they are touring public elementary and high schools and talking to teachers, students and parents, said Lisa Xue, director of International Programs-Asia.

“Suan Dusit Rajabhat University in Thailand also has sent 17 administrators to our campus to attend the Good Governance Training Program,” said Xue. The program included classes on social policy and administration.

Recently on campus were 24 individuals from the China Association of Science and Technology for a one-week training program on the organizational structure, administration and operation of nonprofit groups and professional associations.

“China and other Asian countries send their administrators, educators and other groups to American universities so that they can gain a greater perspective of how other countries and governments work. By working with these Asian visitors, our faculty and administrators also learn and gain a wider understanding of other cultures,” says Xue.

“Our goal is to build a bridge of international understanding,” adds Xue, who along with Wang work with campus faculty members and administrators, as well as Chinese universities and agencies, to arrange for the training programs. “We, working with others on campus to establish successful international programs, are creating a brand name with other countries.”