On January 7th, President of Swarthmore College Professor Valerie Smith led a delegation to visit Zhejiang University and paid a side visit to Haining International Campus, accompanied by Vice Executive President and Dean of International Campus Professor Song Yonghua and the relevant responsible people of International Campus.
The School of Liberal Arts not only provided general education courses to students in each joint institute of International Campus, but set up relevant majors, which would play a vital role in the Campus development. Professor Song Yonghua expressed his wish that based on the cooperation with the Institute of China Studies; both sides could strengthen the depth of cooperation in the area of liberal arts education. Professor Valerie Smith expressed her approval and recognition of the international strategy of Zhejiang University and the construction of International Campus, and desired to deepen and expand cooperation and communication between two universities.
Song Yonghua meeting with President of Swarthmore College Valerie Smith（second from the left)
Subsequently, the delegation of Swarthmore College visited the International Campus in Haining, accompanied by Professor Song Yonghua, and then held talks with student representatives from the Residential College of International Campus. After visiting the campus infrastructure already in use and especially listening to the introduction about the sand tray of the entire campus, Professor Valerie Smith strongly agreed with the rational layout and humanization design of International Campus. During interaction with students, Professor Valerie Smith raised the questions such as ‘why you come here to study’, ‘what cognitive changes have been made after learning in China’, ‘the suggestions to the international students who will study here in the future’. The active responses from Chinese and overseas students left a deep impression on the delegation of Swarthmore College.
Song Yonghua introduced the design concept of International Campus in front of the sand-tray model
Professor Valerie Smith communicated with the student representatives from International Campus
Swarthmore College was founded in 1864, and formed ‘Tri-College Consortium’ with Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College. In its 2016 college ranking, U.S. News & World Report ranked Swarthmore College as the number four liberal arts college. In its 2016 ranking of undergraduate programs, Swarthmore was ranked third in the U.S. Its freshmen enrollment rate was comparable to that of California Institute of Technology. Since the first visit of faculty of Arts and Humanities, Zhejiang University to Swarthmore College in October 2011, the high-level bilateral communications happened frequently. In March 2014, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Zhejiang University signed a cooperation memorandum on China Studies with Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College. At present, two graduates from Swarthmore College study the postgraduate program of China Studies in Haining International Campus.