China Development Grant - Biosystems

Dr. Kirk Dolan, Dr. Ajit Srivastava and Dr. Renfu Lu

Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering:

Proposal:

In November 2002, Drs. Ajit Srivastava and Renfu Lu were invited to attend the 2002 International Agricultural Engineering Conference sponsored by the Asian Association for Agricultural Engineering, held on the campus of Southern Yangtze University in Wuxi. Dr. Srivastava delivered a keynote speech at the Conference. Drs. Srivastava and Lu were also invited to participate in a strategic planning session held on the campus of Zhejiang University. The planning session was attended by heads of major biosystems and agricultural engineering departments in China. It was clear during these sessions that the rapid growth in the Chinese economy over the past 10 years has produced many challenges as well as opportunities for China. The challenges include protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, developing new and renewable sources of energy to continue to drive the economy while providing quality, safe foods for more than 1 billion Chinese people. The B.S. in Biosystems Engineering degree programs focus on many of the issues facing China and it was clear during the planning session that Chinese are looking at us for educational model to train future Engineers to serve the needs of Chinese society.

During the conference in Wuxi, Drs. Srivastava and Lu had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Tao, the President of Southern Yangtze University who was very keen on establishing formal ties with MSU Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at the undergraduate level. We discussed the concept of a 2+1+2 program whereas Chinese students would study for two years in a Chinese university and complete one year to prepare to come to MSU as transfer students. Upon completion of MSU requirements, they would get a degree from MSU as well as from their host institution. When asked if Chinese students could afford the high cost of education in America, Dr Tao responded by saying that the Chinese economy has produced affluent parents who have only one child. These parents would like nothing better than to see their one child become highly educated in the United States and financially successful. Dr. Tao indicated that as many as 100 students would be able to afford to pay for two years of undergraduate study at MSU. One of the most promising areas for future jobs is in biosystems engineering.  MSU’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering is well-poised to attract top students from China. Dr. Srivastava found that other universities were also interested in cooperating with MSU to promote Chinese undergraduate students studying in the United States.  A joint undergraduate program in biosystems and agricultural engineering would benefit everyone—the Chinese students, the BAE department, and MSU.

Given the importance of the Chinese economy to the world, we expect that MSU students would also be interested in a study abroad program to look at China’s post-harvest system. Therefore, we are seeking funds to visit three or four Chinese universities and to develop more details of a joint degree program in biosystems engineering. This proposal supports activities mentioned in the request for proposals:

Proposed Activities:

In October 2006, we propose to visit the following three or four universities with whom we already have contacts: China Agricultural University in Beijing (Professor Maohua Wang, Academician); Southern Yangtze University in Wuxi (President Dr. Wenyi Tao and Professor Mm Zhang of the College of Food Science and Technology); Zhejiang University in Hangzhou (Dr. Yibin Ying, Executive Associate Dean of the College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science), and Huanan Agricultural University in Guangzhou (Professor Xiwen Luo, Vice President). At each university we will discuss setting up a joint undergraduate program, a graduate exchange program, and a study abroad program.

Joint Undergraduate Program

The undergraduate program is the primary goal of our visit. The joint undergraduate program would be “2 + 1 + 2,” meaning that Chinese students would study two years in China in the BAE or closely related major. The next year would be a transition year, where selected students would study intensive English in China. The English program would be set up by the Chinese university. Within that year, MSU would send some faculty to China for a few months to teach the students humanities and social studies required courses. Students will take TOEFL and ACT or SAT and apply for admission to MSU. In the final 2 years, those students admitted would enter MSU as juniors and study BAE, and finish their degree at MSU. Students would pay tuition at a negotiated rate.

Study Abroad Program

A secondary goal while in China is to discuss a study abroad program. MSU undergraduate students would go to China and focus on the Chinese post-harvest food system, including post- harvest handling, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and shipping to export markets. Target students would be majors in biosystems engineering, horticulture, food science, packaging, and food systems management.

Graduate Exchange Program

We will explore the opportunities of graduate student exchange to conduct research and/or to take graduate courses for a short period depending upon mutual interest.

Expected Outcomes:

The program will go into effect fall 2007 with the first group of Chinese students coming to MSU in fall 2010 juniors, and graduate with B.S. in BAE in spring 2012. We expect that the number of Chinese students coming to MSU would range between 10 and 15.

The graduate exchange program could begin as early as fall 2007.

The study abroad program in China post-harvest processing would begin in summer 2008.

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