Visiting International Students Participate in East Asian Studies Research Seminar
This spring, Chinese, South Korean, Japanese, and Hong Kong students from UC Davis’ Global Study Program have joined UC Davis undergraduate students in an East Asian Studies Research Seminar. The first offering of its kind, this course is a collaboration between International programs at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education and the East Asian Studies Department. By bringing students from different backgrounds into the same classroom to inspire global learning, this course represents the kind of partnership that Global Education for All, a campus “Big Idea” championed by UC Davis Global Affairs, is inspiring.
Visiting international students in the Global Study Program value the focused educational environment that UC Davis provides. “Fellow classmates had attended UC Davis for their study abroad, and I thought I would also do well in this environment,” said Chen Jing of Renmin University in Beijing, China. “I came to study and learn without the distractions of the big cities.”
Led by Xiaoling Shu, professor of sociology and director of East Asian Studies, the seminar discusses the state of research in the social sciences and humanities in East Asia. The teaching faculty is composed of prominent scholars in social sciences and humanities including Drs. Beverly Bossler (Professor of History), Wing Woo (Professor of Economics), Sheldon Lu (Professor of Comparative Literature), Bo Feng (Professor of Communication), and Jaeho Cho (Professor of Communication) who discuss their own work and cutting-edge research in their respective fields. International students participating in the course provide unique insights and help fellow students, from diverse fields ranging from Computer Science to East Asian Studies, have a more global classroom.
“Professor Shu’s course aligns well with the objectives of Global Education for All,” said Jake Hosier, a member of the Global Education for all Steering Committee and interim director of University Programs at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education-International. “I was grateful that students from the Global Study Program had the opportunity to share in the learning and experience of this course, a truly unique opportunity to interact with local students and top-faculty in the field in a small, intimate learning environment.”
By introducing students to the frontiers of research in social sciences and humanities in East Asia, this course deepens students’ understanding of the social, cultural, political and economic structures of East Asian societies, providing insights that will benefit them now and in their future career development
About UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s International Programs
The Global Study Program is part of the UC Davis Division of Continuing and Professional Education, an internationally recognized leader in workforce development and educational access for individuals, organizations and communities for nearly 60 years.
UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education offers a variety of opportunities for international students, including non-degree English language programs, “Pathway Programs” for students wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. university, academic and cultural programs for students aged 12-17, and partnership programs with top international universities that allow select students to enroll in regular UC Davis courses in a wide variety of fields.
About Global Affairs at UC Davis
Global Affairs brings the world to UC Davis, welcoming more than 10,000 international students, scholars and leaders, and hosting programs that inspire global curiosity, understanding and engagement. Compelled by the valuable outcomes of thinking globally, Global Affairs makes transformative opportunities a reality by supporting the thousands of students and faculty studying and researching internationally—and by facilitating collaborations that tackle the world’s most pressing problems through more than 150 international partnerships.
Putting the vision of a UC Davis community that engages, thrives, and leads in this interconnected world into action, Global Affairs is now in pursuit of an ambitious goal: Global Education for All.