SF State News {University Communications}

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News Release

 

SF State selected for innovative Chinese program

Federal funding will allow the University to produce graduates ready to pursue business and other professional endeavors in China.

 

SAN FRANCISCO, October 22, 2009 -- San Francisco State University has launched a new undergraduate program designed to develop and integrate superior Chinese language skills into a variety of academic and professional disciplines. A five-year grant of $786,840 from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will support the SF State Chinese Flagship Partner program.

"This program will help to produce global professionals and leaders in many fields," said Charles Egan, associate professor of Chinese studies and director of the program. "Whether they be biologists, economists or cinematographers, this directed language training will enable graduates to function at a high, professional level in Chinese-speaking work environments."

The four-year intensive program is designed for students in any field of study with at least a 3.2 GPA and intermediate level skills in Chinese. Selected students will receive accelerated Chinese instruction that complements their academic and professional plans as they pursue the courses required of their major. The University is also planning to offer preparatory Chinese curricula for students who would like to reach the minimum skills level required to apply for a spot in the Chinese Flagship Partner program. An admissions committee will select 10 students for the first cohort this semester. The program, which will include study in China, will begin during the spring 2010 semester.

As a Flagship Partner, SF State joins other U.S. universities with programs offering study in languages crucial to global cooperation. The Flagship program is funded by the DOD through its National Security Education Program (NSEP), part of a larger effort called the Strategic Language Initiative. This initiative aims to increase the ability of U.S. citizens to cultivate new political, cultural and commercial relationships with countries and regions critical to U.S. national security.

SF State is only the second university in California selected to host a Flagship program and the first in the California State University (CSU) system. Flagship Partner programs operate under Flagship Centers, which have been established with DOD support and are strategically located overseas and throughout the U.S. The SF State program will operate in partnership with the Chinese Flagship Center at the University of Oregon. The partnership enables exchanges in faculty, curriculum and expertise.

The SF State Chinese studies program enrolls approximately 400 students in its classes per semester. It offers a major and minor at the bachelor level and the only master's degree in Chinese in the California State University System. For more information about the Chinese Flagship Partner program at SF State, visit http://www.sfsu.edu/~flagship/ or call (415) 338-7032.

 

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