Undaunted by the Hoosier heat and humidity, new students from China take a campus tour Tuesday at the University of Indianapolis.
Having arrived at the University of Indianapolis this week, the latest contingent of globetrotting Greyhounds from China’s Ningbo Institute of Technology is getting a crash course on life in the United States.
On Tuesday, the 63 new Chinese students received campus tours and orientation, courtesy of UIndy’s International Division and Office of Admissions. They capped the day with a visit to that bastion of Hoosier culture, the Indiana State Fair.
It’s all part of a full schedule of social events, shopping trips, English language immersion and other activities designed to acclimate the students to their new surroundings before the fall semester begins on Aug. 30.
Launched in 2004, the UIndy-NIT partnership allows Chinese students to take UIndy courses and graduate with degrees from both institutions, majoring in business or English.
Students enter the joint program in cohorts of 200 per year at the Ningbo campus, which is three hours from Shanghai in Zhejiang province, Indiana’s Chinese sister state. After completing the first two years, those who meet qualifying standards progress to the second phase, which includes courses taught by visiting UIndy instructors. Top students, however, have the option of pursuing their final two years in Indianapolis, giving them an invaluable international experience and enriching campus culture for the rest of the UIndy community.
Mimi Chase, director of UIndy’s International Division, speaks to new Chinese students during an orientation session Tuesday.
