School of Education welcomes Beijing Normal doctoral students for weeklong research project

The UCI School of Education welcomed 17 scholars from Beijing Normal University, People's Republic of China, to the third annual International Higher Education Leadership and Management Program. 

During their weeklong visit November 4-8, School of Education faculty mentored the visiting scholars through individual and group research projects (below), which the scholars presented to faculty and UCI doctoral students at week’s end. 

“The entire school was excited to once again welcome our partners in China to Irvine and to UCI,” said Richard Arum, dean and professor, UCI School of Education. “This partnership provides a tremendous opportunity to enhance the perspectives and research of students from both nations.”

In addition to pursuing their research, the scholars toured the UCI campus - including Langson Library, the UCI Student Center, and the ESports Arena - and participated in presentations from the Center for Educational Partnerships (CFEP), UCI's Office of Inclusive Excellence, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), and Graduate Division. 

Dean Richard Arum and Professor Huan Song

To enrich their understanding of the structure of higher education in California, the scholars also visited Compton Community College, Chapman University, and California State University, Fullerton.

In June 2018, Arum, along with Associate Professors of Education Drew Bailey and Susanne Jaeggi, traveled to BNU for a Joint Symposium on Learning, Memory, and Development. There, Arum delivered a lecture entitled, "Improving Undergraduate Learning: Recent U.S. Research and Initiatives."

“We look forward to returning to Beijing in 2020, to learning more about the country’s educational system, and to conducting research that can benefit both nations,” Arum said.

To view photos from BNU’s visit to UCI, please click here.

Research Projects

​Group 1, mentored by School of Education Assistant Professor Nia Dowell, focused on the emotion and development of college students. Team members were Di Zhang, Cuicui Liu, Xia Su, Na Li, and Yijuan Liu. Presentation topics included:

• The Development of Global Competence for College Students in China
• The Intervention Research of the Well-Being of College Students
• Career Exploration in College Students' Developmental Trajectories and its Influential Factors
• Emotional Regulation Types of College Students Who have Experience Child Abuse

"I found mentoring these students to be extremely rewarding," Dowell said. "I was very impressed with the quality of their research plans, and the significant cross-cultural practical applications associated with each of their chosen topics."

Group 2, mentored by School of Education Associate Professor Hosun Kang, focused on the development and organizational influence of teachers in higher education. Team members were Wenjie Wang, Xuerong Fan, Kai Wang, and Dexin Yang. Presentations topics included:

• A Study on the Professional Development of Double-Qualified Teachers in Vocational Colleges in China
• Faculty Participation in the Decision-Making of University Regulations
• A Study on the Academic Leadership of Foreign Language Teachers in Local Universities in China
• The Influence of Organizational Climate on Organizational Commitment of Teachers in Locally-Funded Colleges​

"I was impressed about our team’s collegiality, support, and professionalism," Kang said. "They are all asking very important questions deeply grounded in their own experiences.  I commend the progress that they made during such a short period of time."

Group 3, mentored by School of Education Assistant Professor of Teaching Fernando Rodriguez, focus on university teaching and assessment of quality training. Team members were Bolian Men, Fujuan Wang, and Xi Zhang. Topics included:

• Examining the Structure of Well-Being of Chinese College Students 
• The Study of Teaching Evaluation on Undergraduate Education from the Perspective of Student's Development
• The Role of Culture on College Students' Well-Being
• Teacher Instructional Strategies

"I really learned a lot from listening to my mentee’s perspectives about their research area," Rodriguez said. "They had valuable ideas about teaching and learning that I never fully considered. It was truly an honor to be part of this wonderful program."

Group 4 was mentored by Professor of Education Mark Warschauer. Team members were Zhiqiang Li, Qingsong Xie, Fang Xue, Ling Fan, and Hongliang Wang. All five of the members focused on an exploration of the educational system under culture, policy, and power. Their presentation was titled "The 'Double First-Class' Project in China: Political, Economic, and Cultural Perspectives."

"This was a wonderful opportunity to get to know doctoral students from China's premier educational research university and exchange ideas on the study of higher education," said Dr. Warschauer. "It was a great learning experience for all involved on both sides."