Two professors from Shandong University in Weihai, China, are teaching at East Tennessee State University.
Professor Xuezhi “James” Zhang will be teaching ETSU’s Chinese language class and a course titled “Chinese Culture and Traditions,” while his fellow Shandong faculty member, Dianyu Zhang, will conduct research in linguistics.
These faculty exchanges are examples of the growing efforts by the ETSU Office of International Programs and the university’s new Honors College to bring international scholars to campus.
Last fall, ETSU hosted Professor Jiaguan Xiong, Director of International Programs, and Professor Yihong Zhang, chair of the Department of English, both from North China University of Technology.
In addition to teaching and conducting research, these visitors are assisting the Honors College in establishing formal exchange programs for both students and faculty with these prestigious Chinese universities.
One such exchange endeavor is the China Scholars Study Abroad program. As the first recipients of Honors College Faculty Fellowships, Dr. Henry Antkiewicz of the Department of History and Dr. Weixing Chen of the Department of Political Science are designing the unique study abroad program with Shandong University that will be available to ETSU students and faculty, as well as to members of the regional community. A special ‘trial’ trip is planned for June of this year and the full program will begin officially in the spring 2007 semester.
As part of the reciprocal exchange, Dr. Steven Gross of the ETSU Department of English will travel to Shandong from March through July, teaching graduate-level linguistics and academic writing, as well as engaging in research.
“I am excited about this opportunity because I feel it offers me a wonderful way to engage in mutually beneficial collaborative research in linguistics with Chinese faculty and graduate students.” Gross said.
The visiting professors from Shandong University coming to ETSU will provide our academic community with opportunities for cross-cultural, globally-informed, interdisciplinary study.”
“One of my hopes is that ETSU students will see the value of an internationally-based education and want to participate in an educational exchange with students from Shandong, ” he said.

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