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Chinese exchange students arrive in Bluefield to share their culture and language with BC students.

Heather Paisley

November 11, 2011

Students Daisy, Ruby, Lisa, and Harry from the Jiangsu Institute of Education in Nanjing, China are going to be staying at BC for three weeks, taking classes, and giving a series of presentations.

Founded in 1952, the Jiangsu Institute of Education is an institute of higher education offering degree courses in pre-school, primary and secondary level teacher training.

BC signed an articulation agreement with the Jiangsu Institute in the spring of 2009 during a BC mission trip to Nanjing and Beijing.

"The Jiangsu Institute of Education and BC have an agreement, in which they send four students and one professor to BC and BC sends four students and a professor to China," Dr. Gerardo Cummings, BC's director of Global Education.

This year, the Institute only sent over four students and no professor because of passport and Visa complications.

"Professor John was going to be coming here, but had a complication with the Visa," said Cummings.

While here, the Chinese students are taking classes in criminal justice, art, and literature.

They may be at BC learning about our culture, but BC students are learning about their culture as well.

September 27, October 4, and 11, the Chinese students are hosting educational presentations and giving everyone a glimpse into life in China.

On September 27, English major Daisy gave the first presentation.

She began her presentation by thinking Walter Shroyer.

"Thank you Dr. Shroyer for giving us a chance to share our culture," said Daisy. "I really appreciate this."

Walter Shroyer, Professor of Art, met Daisy last summer during his trip to China.

"Everyday when I got off the bus, she would be there waiting and walk me to class," said Shroyer. "She brought me a 12 ounce grape juice that looked like Coke, everyday. Daisy and me would walk around campus and talk, she would ask questions about America and I would ask questions about China."

Daisy explained to the audience why she picked Daisy to be her English name.

"I choose Daisy because I love flowers," said Daisy.

Daisy's Chinese name is Ge Mengtian which means "a Paradox."

"One word to describe myself is paradox," she said. "There's two parts to me, I'm reserved and sometimes, I can be talkative."

She is studying English education, but that doesn't mean she wants to be a teacher.

"Just because we're studying education, doesn't mean we all will be teachers when we graduate, besides for teachers, it's competitive in China," said Daisy.

Daisy talked about her family and her hometown.

"My mother is a music teacher and my father is a surgeon," said Daisy. "I have many cousins, but no brother or sister and I'm very close with my grandparents."

She showed several pictures of her hometown, Wuxi.

"It's quite a modern city with quite good public transportation," she said. "If you're going to my hometown, you can contact me and I will show you around."

Come learn first-hand about the culture and language of China from students at the Jiangsu Institute of Education, October 4 and 11 at 7:00.

For more information about the Jiangsu Institute of Education visit www.jsie.edu.cn.

To learn more about traveling abroad, contact Gerardo Cummings: or (276) 326. 4271.

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