Nankai University Binhai College students attend a short-term study abroad program at St. Cloud State in summer 2015. Seven 2+2 program students participated and got their first look at the university.
St. Cloud State’s finance majors will increase by 25 percent Aug. 12-13 when almost 60 students arrive from Nankai University Binhai College to attend classes in the Herberger School of Business through the new 2+2 Bachelor of Science in Finance Program.
The students will join the about 200 finance majors when classes begin Aug. 22.
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The students have completed two years of courses at Nankai University Binhai College in Tianjin, China, and will study for the final two years of their undergraduate education at St. Cloud State to graduate with a degree from both universities.
The students learned in Mandarin during their first two years at Binhai College while also studying English from Binhai and St. Cloud State faculty members. They will take courses in English at St. Cloud State alongside St. Cloud State business majors.
Another about a dozen Binhai students have completed their first two years at Binhai College and will work with the Intensive English Center to improve their English language skills before acceptance into the finance program at St. Cloud State.
All the students will participate in a welcome ceremony Aug. 15.
The students have already gotten to know School of Business faculty members Grace Kang and Joe Haley who have taught accounting and finance to students in the program in the summer of 2014 and 2015.
Finance, insurance and real estate department faculty prepared by evaluating their capacity and meeting with returning finance majors to inform them about the influx of students.
Having the Binhai students on campus in finance and other Herberger Business School classes is as much to the advantage of domestic St. Cloud State students as it is to them, said Steve Mooney, professor of finance and director of the 2+2 program in finance.
They get the chance to be exposed to people from another culture without leaving Minnesota. They can ask questions, so it’s a win-win for both campuses, he said.
In addition to cultural exposure, the Binhai students also will experience a different style of education and new ways of thinking.
Courses in china are generally taught in a straight lecture format and are held all day long, six days a week, so the students will need to learn time management skills as they adjust to college life in the United States, Mooney said.
The students’ arrival marks the completion of almost 10 years of work by St. Cloud State and Binhai College faculty and staff to make the program a reality.
The initial groundwork was done by Roland Fisher with President Earl H. Potter III getting involved when he arrived on campus.
The more than 70 total students are the first cohort in the 2+2 program. The second cohort is completing their second year of studies at Binhai College this coming school year and will arrive at St. Cloud State in August 2017.
