University's foray into China sets groundwork for model of success

LISLE, Ill., Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America's business relationship with China is often vilified for sending jobs overseas to save money in wages and increase profits. However, as the second largest world economy behind the United States, China is a global powerhouse that no savvy business or institution pursuing an international presence can ignore.

Higher institutions of learning like Benedictine University realize the value of having a presence in China and the reciprocal benefits for a university and its community.

Benedictine, a private liberal arts university west of Chicago, engineered relations with China a decade ago, working directly with Chinese universities to establish partnerships. Since then, Benedictine has expanded its academic programs in China and Vietnam, which directly benefits the University and its community economically. Today, Asian students are enrolled throughout Benedictine's Lisle and Springfield campuses – equal to one-fourth of the University's incoming freshmen at its main Lisle campus. Through its partnerships with Chinese and Vietnamese universities, hundreds of students, unable to travel to the United States to study, are enrolled in programs in China and Vietnam.

These foreign students are paying full tuition, paying for apartments, cars, food, entertainment – boosting the local economy while creating synergy for the University, fellow students, America and China.

In addition to Chinese and Vietnamese students coming to the United States to study, Benedictine students have been able, in increasing numbers, to travel to China to study. Most of these American students from Benedictine have received scholarships from the Chinese government to study in China. Benedictine faculty has also traveled to China to teach and to work with Chinese faculty on a myriad of projects. As a result of all this activity in China, Benedictine has opened offices in Guangzhou and Beijing.

Benedictine University President William J. Carroll, Ph.D., believes that to be competitive in the global market, institutions must invest in China. Due to post-recession U.S. job woes, talking about building relationships with China may seem like a faux pas. However, American colleges and universities are experiencing a boom of admitted Chinese students who are competing with Americans in science, technology, engineering and math fields where U.S. students trail. Thus, encouraging Americans to excel early.

Read more about how Benedictine is improving America's competitiveness nationally and globally at ben.edu/news.

SOURCE Benedictine University

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