News Home

*Pictures from China*

Dakota State University Officials travel to China Friday, October 20 on a 10-day trip to solidify relations with schools in Xian, Tian Jin and Shiang Hi. DSU will attempt to start a distance education program and began an exchange program with the China schools. Those taking the overseas trip from DSU are president Dr. Jerald Tunheim, Director of Distance Education, Deb Gearhart, DSU Distance Education Instructor Haomin Wang, Associate Professor of Business and Information Systems John Webster and International Studies Coordinator and Director of International Programs, Lynn Ryan.

 Ryan says Dakota State and China have exchanged several visits in recent years and a number of ties have been developed between the schools. A number of Chinese students and two Chinese faculty members have also come to DSU as a result of these visits. “We want to start setting up courses and offer distance education online,” said Ryan

“We are excited to go to China and are looking forward to discussing distance education possibilities,” said Dr. Tunheim. “We are hoping to move one step further in developing a relationship with China.”

The agreements to this point have dealt with the possibility of exchanging students and faculty. “It’s been an investigation of the possibilities,” said Ryan. “We wouldn’t want to send our students overseas if we weren’t comfortable with China. We want to see what’s there and what their areas of interest are.”

The relations between the schools have been solid, but Ryan wants to move forward. “We want it to be more than just visits,” Ryan said. “We want to get something written in stone.”

In addition to the 10-day trip, Dr. Tunheim and Ryan will be stopping at Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan for a three-day visit. The two schools have had relations for the past 21 years. Tamagawa has been sending students to summer sessions at Dakota State to study English and South Dakota Culture. Ryan says they will visit Tamagawa with the possibility of expanding that exchange to allow for students to come to DSU during the school year.

--30--