Chinese Language & Cultural Research Ctr launched at DSU Downtown

A partnership between Delaware State University and Xiamen University of China has led to the establishment of a Chinese Language and Cultural Research (CLCR) Center at DSU Downtown.

The officials from both institutions jointly dedicated CLCR Center during a Sept. 22 ceremony at the DSU International Affairs House on N. State Street, where it will be based.

Dr. Fengshan Liu, DSU Associate Vice President for International Affairs, said the CLCR Center will be a source of cultural enrichment, multilingual advocacy, and an internationalized scholarship, offering resources such as teaching staff and curriculum design for local school districts with Chinese immersion and world language programs as well as the Chinese courses and program at DSU.

“The Center serves as a nexus for intercultural and academic exchanges on knowledge of the Chinese languages, literature, philosophy, and other areas of social sciences via the organizations of cultural events, Chinese language learning and teaching conferences, and periodical invited guest lecture series, among other activities,” Dr. Liu said.

Dr. Ying Fang, Vice President of Xiamen University, noted that Xiamen University and DSU are both prominent and time-honored institutions, each one endowed with a rich historical heritage.

“Xiamen is willing to work in close collaboration with Delaware State University to the build the Center into a window for the local community to learn the Chinese language and culture,” Dr. Fang said. “It will be a multi-platform for the two universities to further expand the areas and scope of cooperation,”

Dr. Tony Boyle, DSU Senior Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management, said the center is important because it allows DSU to not only to share this resource with K-12 students, but it also helps the University’s students to benefit from language immersion and Chinese culture.

“Xiamen University one of only two universities that has an A-level certification by its Central Government (in China),” Mr. Boyle said. “It is good for us to be able to go to a national research university where we can send our students and Xiamen can send its faculty here to teach in the Caesar Rodney School District and the Appoquinimink School District as well as at the University.”

Among the approximately 40 people who attended the ceremony were Dr. Saundra DeLauder, DSU Provost and Chief Academic Officer; Dr. Yi Zhang, Director of the CLCR Center; Zhiwei Chen, Dean of Chinese International Education/Overseas Education College; officials from both the Caesar Rodney and Appoquinimink school districts; and others from DSU.