Christina Yao speaks about the growing population of Chinese students at U.S. higher education institutions.
About 50 people from across Michigan State University gathered in Erickson Hall on Feb. 11 to discuss the rapidly growing population of Chinese international students at U.S. higher education institutions.
The event, “Eastern Dragon in the Western Ocean: Opportunities and Challenges Related to Growing Populations of Chinese Students at U.S. Higher Education Institutions,” was organized by the Office of International Studies in Education (OISE). Participants included international and domestic students, faculty and advisors, among others.
Christina Yao, a 2014 graduate of the Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE) doctoral program at MSU and assistant professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, presented at the event. She presented research on Chinese international students’ residential experiences at a U.S. institution of higher education and raised a number of points–including the need to not only focus on addressing the needs of Chinese students, but also domestic students, given that intercultural relationships are two-way.
The presentation was followed by a guided discussion panel with three MSU practitioners:
- Charlie Liu, international student advisor/programming, Office for International Students and Scholars
- Mariana Wong, academic specialist/advisor, Eli Broad College of Business
- Kang Li, academic specialist/advisor, Undergraduate University Division, East Neighborhood Engagement Center; also a 2013 graduate of the HALE doctoral program.
The panelists shared their extensive experience working with the rapidly growing Chinese international student population, which helped provide a deeper understanding of the on-the-ground opportunities and challenges the students and staff face.