In light of the ever-increasing global economy, Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s exchange program with China, which brings a new Chinese faculty member to the college’s Coon Rapids Campus for a full year, has never been more important.

This year students have the opportunity to learn about the Chinese language and culture from Baoying Chen , who teaches English and linguistics at Anoka-Ramsey’s sister school, Zhaoqing University in Zhaoqing, China.

Chosen from among her colleagues to teach in the United States for the 2009-2010 academic year, Baoying hopes to teach her American students about real Chinese life and to learn about American culture so she can share that with her students when she returns to China.

“China is so popular in the world right now, and America is very popular in China, especially with young people,” Baoying says.

Baoying, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Literature and a master’s degree in English education, left her husband and her 12-year-old daughter, Wing, in China to participate in the exchange program. Her visit, however, has been rewarded with full classes.

“Enrollment in my classes is high this year,” say Baoying, who teaches Beginning and Intermediate Chinese Language as well as a class on Chinese Culture. “There are about three times as many students as there were in last year’s classes.”

Since arriving in the U.S., Baoying has already gone to the State Fair, and found it to be very clean and well-ordered.  She plans to travel while she is in the U.S. to visit friends in Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.

“I hope to experience as much of the U.S. culture as possible while I am visiting,” says Baoying.

Baoying is the tenth faculty member from Zhaoqing University to come to the college in an effort to promote intercultural understanding. She will be a guest lecturer in many of college classrooms during her stay, and would appreciate invitations to speak off-campus at schools, businesses and other organizations.

For more information about the Chinese exchange program at Anoka-Ramsey Community College or to arrange to have Baoying speak at your organization, contact Anoka-Ramsey Community College Dean, Luanne Kane at 763-433-1297 or Luanne.Kane@AnokaRamsey.edu

Baoying Chen, shown here at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids Campus Student Lounge, is the tenth Chinese faculty member to teach at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in the exchange program. Along with her teaching courses at the college, she is eager to share her knowledge of Chinese language and culture with both her students and the community-at-large.