MANSFIELD, PA— Three Mansfield University faculty members spent part of their summer teaching in China. Professor of Biology Jeanne Kagle, Timothy Madigan, professor of Sociology, and Associate Professor of Biology Steve Stein traveled to Nanjing, China to teach for two weeks at China Pharmaceutical University (CPU). 
The Mansfield faculty were offered this opportunity through the efforts of Dr. Guanghui “Helen” Zhao, who was a visiting scholar at MU in 2010 and 2014 and who is currently Deputy Dean of the Foreign Languages Department at CPU.
The MU faculty were invited to submit course proposals to CPU, and their courses were accepted based on the level of student interest. Kagle’s course was called “Antibiotics, Resistance, and Alternatives,” Stein taught “Ethnopharmacology Around the World” and Madigan offered an introductory sociology course.
While the Mansfield faculty were able to share their expertise with the CPU students and help them hone their spoken English skills, their hosts demonstrated the well-known hospitality and inquisitiveness of Chinese culture.
Madigan’s class included 40 CPU students whose majors ranged from pharmaceutical administration to environmental science to English. He reports that the students enjoyed the theories, concepts, and research examples, and many performed very well on the tests, written assignments, and in-class exercises. Several students expressed an interest in coming to the USA to study.
Kagle and Stein taught primarily pharmacy majors, and their courses were both of great interest to the students of CPU.
Beyond the classroom, Kagle and Madigan were able to spend two weeks exploring the sights of Nanjing. Among the places they visited were the Confucius Temple, the Taiping Revolution memorial, the Nanjing Massacre memorial, the Nanjing Museum, the Sun Yat-sen memorial, the lotus park, snack alley and the ancient city walls. They popped in all kinds of authentic noodle and dumpling restaurants, sampling such local cuisine as fried dumplings, crayfish and fish fillet soup.
Towards the end of their trip, they went to Huangshan, the beautiful “Yellow Mountain” about four hours from Nanjing by bullet train. Their hotel was some 6,000 feet above sea level, literally amidst the clouds, and they had to get to it by either hiking up an 8km trail or taking the cable car. No roads went to the top and everything was brought in on foot by workers with bamboo sticks across their backs with huge bags tied to both ends. Once on top of the lovely mountain, they hiked dozens of miles to take in all the natural beauty.
“The most amazing experience was how we were welcomed in Huangshan by Ada, a CPU student we knew only indirectly, and her whole family,” Kagle said. “Ada’s father owned a restaurant, and he cooked us an unbelievable feast.” Smelly fish and duck’s head were a few of the interesting delicacies which were consumed.
Stein and his family spent a month in China and successfully made their way through many adventures, even with a limited Chinese vocabulary.
As Mansfield University works to develop its relationships with foreign universities, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities John Ulrich hopes this is just the first of many opportunities for Mansfield faculty to teach or become visiting scholars at partner schools in China and elsewhere.
“We have hosted visiting scholars from China and have welcomed Chinese students to MU through our participation in the 1+2+1 dual degree program, but this is the first time we have sent several of our professors to teach at a Chinese institution,” Ulrich said. “I am very grateful to Dr. Zhao, one of our former visiting scholars, for inviting MU faculty to submit course proposals to CPU’s summer program. This experience is a terrific one for our faculty, and it mutually benefits both of our institutions, strengthening our cooperative relationship.”
“It was invaluable to experience another culture,” Kagle said. “I highly encourage faculty and students alike to travel abroad, to China or elsewhere, if they ever have the opportunity.”