Despite a palpable anxiety in the United States over China’s looming political power, American academe is also optimistic about China. Colleges and universities are drawn toward the nation not only as a haven for international exchange, but also as a source for full-tuition-paying students.
For substantive partnerships and exchanges to take hold, American administrators need to become more aware of and sensitive to relating to their Chinese higher-education counterparts.
Though higher education is facing tough economic times in the United States, it is flourishing in China. instead of experiencing cuts in government funds, the sector has seen government research support increase 20 percent every year for the last decade, and the number of Chinese higher-education institutions has doubled over the same period, from 1,022 to 2,263. The government has poured money into its Project 985, which focuses support on the country’s top 39 universities with the aim of making them world-class institutions. As a new phase of Project 985 gets under way, the government has pledged 39 billion yuan (about $6-billion) of additio nal investment. Flush with cash, Chinese universities are looking for serious American institutional partners for collaborative programs in teaching and scholarship.
What is to be done? American universities need to get over the postcolonial moment and realize that they are now in the position of having to market to and persuade, rather than merely dictate to and absorb, potential Chinese educational partners. In the past, too many American university administrative visits have contributed to Chinese perceptions that the trips are little more than glorified junkets. Those visits accomplished very little besides signed agreements that were general statements of good intentions, not distinct frameworks for academic collaboration. Chinese univers ities have wised up to that tactic, so such trivial face-to-face excursions actually hurt credibility rather than help. And in China, “face” (mianzi), once sullied, is nearly impossible to recover. American university and college presidents and deans who don’t want to get left behind in the China rush, but also genuinely want to build something, may appreciate some advice.
Preparation. Prepare by learning in detail about potential partners. begin by looking for an English-language Web site, the state of which will indicate some degree of institutional English-language proficiency (or not). If the institutions don’t have a functional English-language Web site, find a bilingual Web-savvy assistant and offer information-technology support to your potential partner to help develop one. Such help is in the interest of both sides (few faculty and staff members have the time or patience to wade through obscure Web sites filled with “Chinglish” aphorisms and unpronounceable place names). Become a ware of academic reputations, by checking the Chinese-university rankings of the Chinese Academy of Management Science—they’re even more controversial than those of American colleges by U.S. News & World Report, but they are known and read by Chinese academic administrators. at the very least, the rankings provide a thumbnail sketch of a university’s reputation relative to others’ and may provide initial talking points.
Respect. Acquaint yourself with the people you will meet, practicing the correct pronunciation of their names and becoming well-versed in their fields, learning just enough Mandarin to greet and thank people. Bring appropriate gifts, and respect hierarchies. Don’t give everyone the same college tie made in China, and make the effort to differentiate between gift recipients. have someone familiar with the institution make discreet inquiries about expectations and past experiences so that neither side feels shortchanged.
Sincerity. Come with a clear purpose in mind, and be prepared to give a concise presentation about what makes your institution special and how that can lead to mutually beneficial programs. Be specific about your goals and vision for partnership. Remember, you are trying to develop genuine “personal relationships” (guanxi) for long-term institutional benefit, relationships that may grow beyond institutional connections and last through several generations.
Cultural sensitivity. Higher education in China is still an elitist enterprise for the best and the brightest students. Though college attendance is growing rapidly, under 9 percent of China’s population hold university degrees. Meritocracy is valued as an ideal. The educational system may still be Communist in name, but it is pervaded by Confucian ideals, which inspire tremendous respect for learning and academic achievement. Listen carefully to what Chinese academics say to you and demonstrate that you are paying attention. Don’t be an ugly American sucking up all the oxygen in the room. Be humble about America’s extraordinary accomplishments and place in the world; many Chinese feel that we have no appreciation of what China has achieved in the last 20 years, let alone over the past five millennia.
Work hard; play hard. Don’t leave your Chinese hosts with the impression that you are more interested in sightseeing and shopping (many American academics have). Though business is rarely discussed during the interminable banquets, use them to build personal bonds with your hosts that can lead to productive meetings outside the dining room. have someone in your party who is good at discovering common interests take charge of “breaking the ice.” during the meal, remember that moderation can be interpreted as disinterest and finickiness. Toast gracefully, gratefully, and often, and eat everything in fro 0;t of you with public relish. Chinese delight in and begin to trust people who show genuine knowledge, enthusiasm, and enjoyment of Chinese culture, and that often begins with Chinese cuisine.
Goodwill. When hosting Chinese delegations in the United States, make an effort to match their scholarly and individual interests with site visits and special activities. show goodwill by interacting on a personal basis outside of meetings, by sharing your own individual enthusiasms. Being a good host to Chinese delegations involves far more than picking up the bill; it is an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtfulness, Be sure to reciprocate the visitors’ gifts and hospitality in ways they appreciate (that is, no rare-steak dinners or “American” meals of hot dogs and hamburgers), or you will risk being thought of as insincere and even cheap. Open your home whenever possible.
China’s expanding educational horizon is replete with opportunities and challenges, complicated by a century of Sino-American misunderstanding that has vacillated between fear and favor, alternating between images of China as a rapacious tiger to be thwarted and a suffering panda in need of rescue. American administrators need to be aware of potential problems, like threats to academic freedom in China, but should also understand that an open and frank dialogue with their Chinese counterparts is the best way to solve such issues.
There are also concerns of a more practical nature. Would-be academic Marco Polos face a dizzying mix of the developing world and the future in many urban areas in China, where migrant-worker slums abut avant-garde skyscrapers. China enjoys great cellphone coverage (better than in most places in the United States), yet that exists in tandem with tightly controlled Internet access, unreliable information-technology assistance, and irregular postal service.
During visits to China, many outsiders become extremely frustrated with apparently disorganized and contingent scheduling that is almost always changed at the last minute, but that does not necessarily bespeak disrespectful attitudes toward a particular individual or institution. It’s simply the consequence of two millennia of “big man” decision making, in which the top person in the organization has the last word and often exercises that prerogative at the last minute, thereby creating disincentives for middle- or low-rung administrators to lock down a nything in advance. Academic leaders in search of building workable, mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with Chinese partner institutions must understand that history and find a way to not miss the boat—without going overboard.
Hao Huang is a professor of music at Scripps College and the founder of the Global Initiatives at Scripps Team. he has been the faculty director of several Chinese institutional projects. Dru C. Gladney is a professor of anthropology at Pomona College, recent president of the Pacific Basin Institute, and former dean of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, in Honolulu. his most recent book is Dislocating China (University of Chicago Press, 2004).
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Press Release Source: Layered Technologies, Inc. On Tuesday August 30, 2011, 10:00 am EDT 
By Liz Biro StarNews Correspondent Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 8:06 a.m. last Modified: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 8:55 a.m. 
