Related reading: Courses for overseas students help promote int’l exchanges

Beijing, May 29 ((People’s Daily Online) Hu Zhengrong, vice president ofCommunication University of China visited People’s Daily Online and had an exclusiveinterview at the website on Monday. In the interview, he elaborated on howinternational programs designed for foreign students can further promote theinternational communications.

Journalism tops as the most favored discipline for foreign students

As connection between cultures has been strengthening in recent years, many leadinguniversities in China have been gearing up for setting up courses and programs foroverseas students who what to get postgraduate and PhD diplomas in China.

In 2011, Communication University of China has set up its first batch of coursesspecifically designed for foreign students. Most students chose journalism andcommunication related courses.

One of the reasons why so many foreign students come to China to study journalism isthat according to the newly published discipline evaluation by Ministry ofEducation,journalism and communication of Communication University of China havebeen ranked top discipline among the equivalents, Hu said.
Another possible reason is that foreign students have begun to realize that instead oflearning basic Chinese language, it is more important to study the sociology-relatedcourses, as such courses can provide them the basic foundation to better understandand communicate with China in the future.

How can these foreign students finish the courses under the background of Chinesesociety and culture within only one or two years? Hu said the courses designed for theoverseas students are formed in a mixture of tasks, combining lecturing visits andinternships.

There are visits to the news agencies, primary and secondary schools, some remotepoor area, or even prison. The purpose of such course design is to let them have amore comprehensive understanding about China, to let them know China is not onlyabout big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In this approach, they actuallystart to think critically and understand things that happen every day in China.

International communication helps promote soft power

When talking about China’s rapidly growth in the recent decades, Hu said now thatChina has shown the muscle and power to the world, it is time to think about thesoftware behind the power, while educational and cultural communications can serveas a platform. Hu expressed his hope that more universities should start thinking aboutinternational communications and therefore further promote China’s soft power.