New and Expanded Opportunities
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Yan Bao, associate professor in accounting in FSU’s College of Business, had the opportunity to learn more about education in China this past semester while on a sabbatical in Shanghai as the senior visiting scholar in the School of Management at Fudan University.
She held the position of Deloitte Chair Professor funded by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants Ltd. in the Chinese Mainland, and was in China from July 3 through Dec. 16 advising Chinese doctoral and master’s students for their research work.
“Teaching and doing research in China is a valuable experience for me to have a better and more updated understanding of Chinese students and Chinese culture,” Bao said. “In the future, when I have Chinese students in my MBA class, I will be able to handle a diversified classroom setting better.”
Bao earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from China’s Xiamen University and wanted to do her sabbatical at Fudan University because it allowed her to reconnect with her undergraduate research adviser and work with him on a few research projects. And as she eventually learned, it was also a valuable opportunity to share ideas not just with Chinese colleagues, but with other international faculty.
“At Fudan University, I attended academic seminars every week. Many of these seminars were presented by professors from all over the world. In addition, Fudan University has developed various MBA/EMBA programs with Hong Kong, the United States, Norway and other countries,” Bao said. “I saw students from other countries take classes at Fudan. I saw Chinese students go to study overseas and Chinese professors go to visit universities internationally.”
In addition to Fudan, Bao also visited Hunan Normal University, where she presented one of her academic articles, conducted an open house for FSU’s College of Business and met with the deans of HNU’s College of Commerce to discuss expanding the relationship between HNU and FSU.
“During the meeting, we talked about the potential collaboration between HNU College of Commerce and FSU College of Business, which includes student exchange, faculty exchange, sending FSU business students to HNU for a few weeks’ internship and having FSU business professors teach in HNU’s MBA program,” she said. The meeting also set the stage for HNU to consider the possibility of having Bao as an accounting professor to help develop HNU’s accounting program at the College of Commerce.
In addition to HNU, Bao also visited a new institution in China open to FSU collaboration — the Hunan University of Commerce.
“HUC is very interested in building a 3 plus 2 program with FSU, which means that Chinese students study three years at HUC, and then study two years in FSU’s MBA program,” she said. “I felt that I was talking to the right university, determined to move forward with their outreach efforts, which is a perfect match for what FSU has been looking for.”
Despite her long-standing history with China as a student and scholar, Bao returned with a renewed sense of commitment to and understanding of the Chinese educational culture and China’s interest in the United States.
“China is developing very fast. Students work very hard. They are motivated and dedicated and anxious to experience the rest of the world through studying abroad or having foreign professors teach in China,” Bao said.
In addition to HNU, FSU currently has partnerships with Chengdu’s Southwest University for Nationalities, Sichuan Normal University and Sichuan College of Education. The agreements lay the groundwork for collaboration in the specific areas of faculty, student and cultural exchanges and joint research and development programs.
