In partnership with Rowan University, Rowan College at Burlington County recently secured a three-year, $286,412 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help establish a Global Studies degree designation focused on health, environment and emergency response.
Dr. Brandon Chapman, Instructor and Program Coordinator of Sociology and Anthropology at RCBC, co-authored the grant, which funds the inclusion of Arabic and Chinese language courses, as well an Introduction to Global Studies course to RCBC’s offerings. Additionally, the grant enables the college to run a Global Studies Lecture and Film Series, which has already kicked off with high-profile guests, including Dr. Avery Goldstein, a U.S.-China relations expert from the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Jacob Shapiro, Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Join Dr. Chapman, RCBC Chinese instructor Li Li, RCBC Arabic instructor Tarek Mousa and RCBC student Emily Bosco this Wednesday, March 24, at 1 pm, on RCBC’s Facebook Town Hall to learn more about this exciting initiative.
Students who enroll in RCBC’s pre-designated, internationally-focused courses will be on track to earn a global studies degree designation and will be able to seamlessly transfer into a plethora of Rowan University’s international studies degrees and concentrations. Emily Bosco, who hopes to teach English as a second language and pursue foreign languages in general, looks forward to delving into RCBC’s newest offerings in Arabic and Chinese.
“We have these languages that we need a lot more people in the United States trained in,” Dr. Chapman said. “They offer excellent employment across a broad spectrum. You learn Arabic or Chinese, and you are setting yourself up well in almost any field, including just purely being a translator. There’s been a huge demand for decades for these; we’ve got a 30 or 40-year backed-up demand in the United States for more speakers of these languages, so any college that can effectively get students to specialize in these courses is a big deal.”
Li Li, who came to the United States 25 years ago, has taught Chinese language courses at both public and private schools. She currently teaches at Moorestown Friends School and RCBC. She also serves as principal of Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School, which focuses on education promoting cultural understanding, including Chinese folk music and martial arts classes. In her teachings, she emphasizes the importance of encouraging students to think critically about information they come across on social media platforms.
Dr. Chapman echoed a similar sentiment, setting out an ultimate goal of increased awareness and understanding.
“To have a greater understanding and respect for other cultures goes along with learning another language,” he said. “Besides the practical initiative we’ve set into motion here, an important societal aspect of it is to increase people’s empathy and understanding of one another.”