May 8, 2007

Beijing to serve as meeting place for Boilermakers

Twelve members of Purdue faculty and staff will travel there as part of the Faculty Development in China program. This program makes it possible for faculty and staff to visit several cities in China for two weeks to develop new opportunities for research, international student recruitment, study abroad programs and the exchange of students and faculty members.

Dozens of Purdue students will study in Beijing, and in addition to those, many other students will study in other locations in China. One hundred fifty Boilermakers will spend part of the summer in China in programs devoted to business, sports medicine, relations among Asian countries and Chinese language and culture. The students will be accompanied by a number of faculty members who will lead these programs and teach classes in some cases.

"There has been dramatic growth in the number of Purdue study abroad programs in China and equally dramatic growth in student numbers," said Brian Harley, assistant dean of International Programs and director of the Office of Programs for Study Abroad. "We sent just 24 students there three years ago, but in the 2006-07 academic year, we sent 141. China has become the most popular study abroad destination among Purdue students."

Purdue's growing involvement with China is one of the results of the university's Asian Initiative, a system of grant-supported programs in place since 2005, with the aim of increasing Purdue connections to India and China.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Christopher Klein, publications and marketing coordinator for the Programs for Study Abroad, (765) 494-9866, cbklein@purdue.edu

Brian Harley, (765) 494-2383, bharley@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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