During a celebratory dinner on Jan. 13, Arcadia’s reverse Preview program welcomed to campus nine students and a visiting faculty member from China’s Jiangsu University. 

The first- and second-year Jiangsu students are participating in informal English classes and observing Math, Computer Science, and Business courses to see what it would be like as an Arcadia student.

Through a collaborative agreement established in 2011 with Jiangsu University, students in China have been able to enroll in a dual degree for the Mathematics and Actuarial Science programs—usually completing the first two years at Jiangsu, then finishing their degrees in Glenside. Through this international program, 47 Jiangsu students have graduated thus far.

While students are visiting campus, the Office of International Programs (OIP) and International Peer Associates League members (IPALs) will provide activities for students throughout the region, such as visiting New York City and Philadelphia and shopping at the King of Prussia Mall. Jiangsu students will also be invited to participate in on-campus events, such as the activities fair on Thursday, Jan. 16 and karaoke night on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Students will return to China on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

“The campus is beautiful, and everyone is so kind,” said Hua “Max” Jiadi, a second-year program student visiting the United States for the first time. “In addition to seeing Arcadia, I wanted to know about America and American culture.”

Each year, Associate Dean of OIP Jan Finn takes Arcadia students to Jiangsu University on Preview. This year, Arcadia and Jiangsu students will meet in Finn’s first Preview class on Friday, Jan. 17 to discuss The Farewell, a 2019 American comedy-drama about a Chinese family who, upon learning their grandmother has only a short while left to live, decide not to tell her and schedule a family gathering before she dies. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the different American and Chinese cultural points of the film during the class.

“There’s a lot of excitement and expectation waiting for you here,” said Dr. Jeff Rutenbeck, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, at the Thanksgiving-style welcome dinner on Jan. 13. “The Jiangsu partnership is the oldest one for Arcadia University, so it’s a very important relationship for us. We are so impressed with the talent and work ethic of the Jiangsu students, and the bar has been set very high.”