EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania will become one of only two universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to offer a minor in Chinese language and culture, thanks to the growing interest of ESU students and employers.  The minor was approved by the PASSHE Office of the Chancellor in April. The expanded course offerings will be enhanced by ESU’s student and faculty exchanges with its two sister schools in China: Shanghai Normal University in the city of Shanghai and Shenyang Normal University in the Liaoning Province, northeast of Beijing.

 “The growing importance of China on the world stage and in global markets makes it vital that we offer our students greater opportunities to learn the language and culture,” said ESU President Robert Dillman. “This minor will open up new careers and give students a better understanding of their world while making them more attractive to employers nationally and internationally.” 

ESU’s proximity to New York and Philadelphia, with their international markets and government agencies, makes it a natural for creating the new minor, according to Dr. Marilyn J. Wells, vice provost. Eight Chinese or Taiwanese companies, including Sinacom North America and Apptec Laboratory Services, with several hundred employees, have a presence near ESU.  

That, coupled with rising demand from students, helped the university earn approval for the minor in Chinese.  According to Wells, enrollment at ESU for one of its Chinese language courses increased 50 percent in the last year alone. “

Faculty and student exchanges with Shanghai and Shenyang universities have proven popular. On May 20, ESU professors took a group of students to China for a three-week study abroad program.

“The exchanges have been enlightening to both cultures,” Hawkes said. “Shenyang University is interested in our business management program,” he said. And Shanghai University is “very interested in how we teach graphic design and how creative our students are.”