2008 Woodie Awards
Fullbright scholar in residence compares Guilford, China
Washington, Caryn
Issue date: 9/1/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Li Qikeng is this year’s Fulbright Scholar in residence. A professor from China, Qikeng was chosen from a large pool of candidates to teach at Guilford College.
Where are you from?
I am from Beijing Foreign Studies University, China.
Can you tell us what a Fulbright Scholar is?
Actually, the Fulbright Program has a number of sub-programs, and mine is kind of a scholar in residence. That is, a scholar from another country who is supposed to teach in an American university.
The American university should be one that is a kind of liberal arts college, which is not very internationalized. So that’s why this kind of college, liberal and small, is eligible for the application for this program. Prestigious schools such as Harvard and Yale may not be eligible for the application because they are internationalized.
One of the missions of the Fulbright Program is to spread friendship and to create a mutual understanding between the host country and the home country. I think that that is a very good mission; that is the spirit of this program. It is well designed.
Why did you choose Guilford?
I did not actually choose Guilford. Guilford submits an application to the Fulbright office where a number of other colleges have applied. Then the Americans pick a state department of a country.
When the application from Guilford is approved, then the embassy in China, in Guilford’s case, helps the college to select from a pool of candidates. Actually, I was recommended by my hosting institution, and I am very glad to be selected by Guilford. There were a number of candidates for Guilford, and Guilford chose me.
Guilford is a liberal school; for example, we call our professors by their first names. Is it like this where you taught in China? How do the two compare?
There are quite a lot of differences between Guilford and the universities in China. Before I came here, I was told through e-mail, and I actually met some Guilford colleagues in Beijing.
Eric Mortensen said that students and professors address each other by their first names. I think that (addressing each other by first name) is very good, and I like this kind of equality or very good friendship or good community spirit. But in China, among very close friends and colleagues of the same age we address each other by first names.
Otherwise we are very respectful to professors, especially senior professors. Here, I think you can address the president by his first name, but in China that is not possible, not in any universities.
I think maybe it is a cultural difference. I think the United States culture is about cultural friendship and equality. But in China one of the Confucius ideas is to respect the elders. And it is not possible to say one is better, I think it is just cultural differences.
Is there anything else that you wanted to share with or about the Guilford community?
Another thing that I like at Guilford is that it is really like a garden, with beautiful old or primitive trees. The green grass, and even a small lake and the woods, bring beauty to the campus. You can hardly find any universities in China that are so beautiful and full of green.
Another thing I like is that Guilford students and teachers are so friendly; I’ve gotten much help from the professors here. You can walk down the street and people will always wave. In China, people walk by you and pay no attention. I like the community feeling that Guilford has.
Where are you from?
I am from Beijing Foreign Studies University, China.
Can you tell us what a Fulbright Scholar is?
Actually, the Fulbright Program has a number of sub-programs, and mine is kind of a scholar in residence. That is, a scholar from another country who is supposed to teach in an American university.
The American university should be one that is a kind of liberal arts college, which is not very internationalized. So that’s why this kind of college, liberal and small, is eligible for the application for this program. Prestigious schools such as Harvard and Yale may not be eligible for the application because they are internationalized.
One of the missions of the Fulbright Program is to spread friendship and to create a mutual understanding between the host country and the home country. I think that that is a very good mission; that is the spirit of this program. It is well designed.
Why did you choose Guilford?
I did not actually choose Guilford. Guilford submits an application to the Fulbright office where a number of other colleges have applied. Then the Americans pick a state department of a country.
When the application from Guilford is approved, then the embassy in China, in Guilford’s case, helps the college to select from a pool of candidates. Actually, I was recommended by my hosting institution, and I am very glad to be selected by Guilford. There were a number of candidates for Guilford, and Guilford chose me.
Guilford is a liberal school; for example, we call our professors by their first names. Is it like this where you taught in China? How do the two compare?
There are quite a lot of differences between Guilford and the universities in China. Before I came here, I was told through e-mail, and I actually met some Guilford colleagues in Beijing.
Eric Mortensen said that students and professors address each other by their first names. I think that (addressing each other by first name) is very good, and I like this kind of equality or very good friendship or good community spirit. But in China, among very close friends and colleagues of the same age we address each other by first names.
Otherwise we are very respectful to professors, especially senior professors. Here, I think you can address the president by his first name, but in China that is not possible, not in any universities.
I think maybe it is a cultural difference. I think the United States culture is about cultural friendship and equality. But in China one of the Confucius ideas is to respect the elders. And it is not possible to say one is better, I think it is just cultural differences.
Is there anything else that you wanted to share with or about the Guilford community?
Another thing that I like at Guilford is that it is really like a garden, with beautiful old or primitive trees. The green grass, and even a small lake and the woods, bring beauty to the campus. You can hardly find any universities in China that are so beautiful and full of green.
Another thing I like is that Guilford students and teachers are so friendly; I’ve gotten much help from the professors here. You can walk down the street and people will always wave. In China, people walk by you and pay no attention. I like the community feeling that Guilford has.
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