News Releases

Bridging Cultural Ties and Understanding:
 International Education Within and from China

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Clark College economics professor
James M. Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii
will share insights from his teaching experiences in China 
as part of Clark’s 2010-2011 Faculty Speaker Series

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Some see China on the rise as a strategic threat to the interests of the U.S. and its allies. Others see emerging China as a source of opportunities for new markets and new relationships in the global economy. On both sides of the discussion, most observers acknowledge the importance of international education in promoting changes in China’s political economy.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Clark College economics professor James M. Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii will share insights from his teaching experiences in China as part of Clark’s 2010-2011 Faculty Speaker Series.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Bridging Cultural Ties and Understanding:  International Education Within and from China.”  It will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. in rooms 258 B&C in the Penguin Union Building on Clark’s main campus.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii is a consulting and visiting professor of economics at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.  He said, “My knowledge of new approaches, needs and constraints in international education programs in China is based, not only on my own teaching experiences there, but also on discussions with Chinese officials who are charged with recruiting, structuring and monitoring new programs in international education.  Those efforts are impacted by China’s shifting policies and imperatives on education and foreign policy.”

Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii will also discuss shifting attitudes within China toward the West and “what international program content China is prepared to allow into China, what it will not allow, and why.”

About James M. Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii

Professor James M. Craven, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of the Blackfoot Nation.  His Blackfoot name is Omahkohkiaaiipooyii.  For more than 30 years, he has taught economics, geography and ethnology from undergraduate to post-doctoral levels. 

A professor of economics at Clark College, Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii is a consulting and visiting professor of economics at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, where he serves on the editorial board of the journal "International Critical Thought."

As recently as 2010, he has presented papers and taught a graduate course at Tsinghua University in Beijing.  He has also presented papers, published in peer-reviewed journals, at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.  Additionally, he has been a guest lecturer at Yunnan University in the province of Yunnan and at the Minzu University of China.  Located in Beijing, Minzu University has been described as the most prestigious of China's 13 “minzu,” or "nationalities" institutions, serving students from minority groups. Founded in 1911, Tsinghua University, China’s second oldest and largest university, is considered by many to be the premier sciences university in the country.  Its graduates include many members of China’s current leadership.

Meeting with members of the Government of China as well as leading Chinese educators, Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii has participated in discussions related to international education, national minorities in China, and U.S.-China relations.

Craven/Omahkohkiaaiipooyii has taught in the United States, Europe, India, Puerto Rico, Canada and parts of Asia.  In addition to English, he speaks six languages and is currently learning Mandarin Chinese.  He has been featured in various Marquis ”Who’s Who” publications including “The World”; “America”; “The West”; “Science and Engineering”; “Finance and Industry”; and “American Education.”

About the Clark College Faculty Speaker Series

The Faculty Speaker Series, established by Clark College with support from the Clark College Foundation, honors individual faculty members and celebrates academic excellence.  

The Faculty Speaker Series showcases experiences that have enriched both the life and teaching of a Clark faculty member.  Throughout the series, faculty members share their developmental experiences with the college community -- and members of the community at large -- while addressing some of today’s most intriguing issues.  

Past Faculty Speaker Series discussions have focused on rich and diverse topics including the Fulbright international teaching experience and sustainable food choices as well as timely discussions of issues relating to health, science, writing and art.

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