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President Jeffrey Herbst talks to students visiting from Xiamen University. Photo by Cody Tipton ’07

This week, reported that Chinese students are visiting colleges and universities in the United States in an effort to learn more about getting into grad school.

“U.S. summer camps are increasingly popular in countries such as China, where the rising middle class can send their children to experience American life — and possibly set the stage for going to college in the USA,” begins the USA Today story by reporter Mary Beth Marklein.

, �Ա���Ƶ President Jeffrey Herbst signed a memorandum of understanding with Xiamen University in China. On behalf of their respective institutions, Herbst and XMU President Zhu Chongshi agreed to promote cooperation and the advancement of academic and educational exchanges.

It was during his visit to Xiamen that Herbst addressed  students who were curious about the American liberal arts system and potentially interested in participating in a four-week cultural exchange program at �Ա���Ƶ. Of those interested Xiamen students, 29 signed up and are currently visiting �Ա���Ƶ.

that the visit by Chinese students is partly motivated by getting into graduate school in the United States: “…the program also introduces students to graduate-student life and includes visits to Cornell, Columbia and George Washington universities.”

The exchange program at �Ա���Ƶ includes daily classes and lectures from experts on topics ranging from Chinese American relations, the American financial system, and Greek and Roman history, to name just a few. The four-week visit also includes trips to Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., and the New York Stock Exchange.

One of the goals of this exchange is to foster the growing connection between the students of Xiamen and �Ա���Ƶ in order to continually strengthen our .

Note: Watch this space next week for a story about the experiences of the Xiamen students at �Ա���Ƶ.