Our global workforce is consistently expanding, gathering talent from all ends of the earth to drive research and business success. At the same time, educational opportunity is expanding globally as well, offering access to degree programs and experiential opportunities to students from across the world. Knowing this and to create a globally competent workforce, we must increase the opportunities for international exposure throughout all courses and degrees. In today’s global economy, students and researchers with a broad cultural and international perspective have distinct competitive advantages.
Dr. Soundarapandian Vijayakumar, a SUNY Cobleskill professor, did his part this summer in Nanjing, China, where he spent time teaching and sharing research on two health science topics — polycystic kidney disease and epithelial cell biology — as part of a biotechnology dual diploma agreement between SUNY Cobleskill and the Jinling Institute of Technology (JIT). While in Nanjing, he worked with 26 Chinese students on intense coursework in biochemistry and also spent time educating students and faculty on his research concerning how cysts in human kidneys develop and grow to yield Polycystic Kidney Disease.
Spending time in China also provided the opportunity for Dr. Vijayakumar to expand his cultural perspective, as he had the opportunity to visit many Chinese landmarks. This included climbing the Great Wall of China, visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing, exploring the Bund, YuYuan Garden and the Jingaan Buddha Temple in Shanghai, as well as first-hand observations of museums and temples.
“Learning other cultures and trying new things is an experience I would definitely recommend to students and faculty,” says Dr. Vijayakumar. “My students were great. They worked very hard and though there was a language barrier, it was never a troublesome issue.”
The trip to Nanjing was part of a dual diploma agreement in biotechnology between SUNY Cobleskill and the Jinling Institute of Technology. International students who enroll in this dual diploma program spend the first three years of undergraduate study attending JIT, then transfer locations to SUNY Cobleskill for their remaining time of study. Partnerships like this between U.S. schools and Chinese higher education institutions provide opportunities for international students and faculty members to experience a different culture, as well as offer domestic students who do not have the opportunity to take part in a study abroad experience for one reason or another the opportunity to engage first-hand with international students right on campus.
