The Chinese language program (now in cooperation with Vassar College) takes students to Qingdao University, on the coast of the Shandong peninsula, for an intensive two months of summer study after completion of first year Chinese at Bard. Bard's language tutors are selected from among the Qingdao faculty.
2007-2008, Professor Chongke ZHU, born in Confucius' home town of Qufu, with degrees in Chinese literature from Sun Yat-sen University and the National University of Singapore, took leave from the department of Chinese at Sun Yat-sen University to teach at Bard. He is teaching First Year Seminar in Chinese, a course started by his predecessor at the request of President Leon Botstein for the Music Conservatory students whose preparation in English is inadequate to read the English translations of these great works. This allows them an immediate immersion in the intellectual experience of a liberal arts education while they are struggling to master English. Professor Zhu also teaches Reflections of China in Literature and Film.
2006-2007, Professor May Bo CHING, with degrees from Oxford and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, took leave from the history department of Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University to teach Advanced Chinese and Reflections of China in Literature and Film. 2005-2006, Professor Jian (James) XU, with degrees from Princeton and Beijing University, took leave from the history department of Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University to teach Advanced Chinese and Archaeology & Ancient Chinese Art at Bard. This is part of a long-term on-going relationship with Sun Yat-sen University.
In 2004-2005, Bard hosted, jointly with SUNY New Paltz, Xiangrong Wang, a professor of urban ecology and environmental planning from Fudan University in Shanghai. Bard in China brought Bard Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Qiyu Tu, an economist from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences in 2001-2002.
The program also oversaw Bard's Freeman Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative, established with a grant from the Freeman Foundation. This grant funded three faculty positions, library and film resources, and faculty and student study and research in Asia. Twelve faculty have done short term research in Asia with this funding. In addition to new courses, one trip resulted in joint theater productions with the Shanghai Theater Academy involving faculty, staff and students working together on a new version of a Brecht play. The productions were held in the new theaters of the respective schools in October '03 at Bard and January '04 in Shanghai. Twenty-one students have been funded for senior project research in Asia, eleven of them in China. Their topics were in political sciences, studio art, art history, history, religion, theater, psychology, music, and economics.
In addition, graduate students from both The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture and from the Center for Curatorial Studies and Art in Contemporary Culture, accompanied by the director of the Bard in China program, have conducted research in China. The director has explored a variety of potential internship sites in China for students in the Bard Center for Environmental Policy. Five Bard students of Chinese have taught English at high schools in the Shanghai area; many others have returned to China for work or study. The program attempts to stay in touch with graduates who have lived in China after graduation, so that they may advise subsequent graduates who wish to study, teach, or work in China.
At present, we are working on new initiatives with two Chinese universities: Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, where Bard hopes to set up a cooperative double degree program in liberal arts; and Lingnan University in Hong Kong, where we have signed an exchange agreement for students, faculty, and English language tutors. Students should consider spending time at these schools, either during their college years or after graduation.
Three students from Lingnan University spent semesters at Bard during the 2005-6 academic year. Another is here for Spring 2007. It is hoped that Bard students in turn will spend semesters at Lingnan University, a well-organized, liberal arts university in the suburbs of Hong Kong. Since many of the courses are taught in English, Chinese language ability is not needed. Furthermore, Hong Kong is in the unusual situation of being both united with and separate from China. It is a truly unique and very exciting place from the standpoint of economics, politics, and social policy. Students can work out individualized programs to take advantage of opportunities to do research or internships in Hong Kong. Because of the ocean, the deep harbor, and the breeze, the climate is much fresher than one would expect from either the latitude or the size and denseness of the city. Furthermore, it offers easy access to many other parts of Asia.
Student Exchange: http://www.ln.edu.hk/oip/siep/partner.htm
The Visiting Tutor Scheme is administered by the Lingnan University English Department. In addition to paying quite well and providing housing, it allows the tutors to develop projects in line with their individual skills and interests. A tutor can either live modestly and begin paying off student loans or enjoy travels to a wide variety of Asian destinations: Tibet, Vietnam, the Philippines and so forth. A 2006 Bard graduate is currently a visiting tutor at Lingnan.
In addition to the Chinese students who enter Bard's regular program, we are honored to have terrific musicians from the high schools attached to the Central Conservatory and the Shanghai Conservatory. These students have entered the Bard Conservatory of Music, where they will obtain professional music training as well as major in a non-music area. Please come and hear them in concert with their fellow students from the US and elsewhere!
Visiting Tutor Scheme: http://www.ln.edu.hk/eng/tutor.htm
