Students from Shenzhen Polytechnic in China are studying
this fall at Kent State University at Stark as part of a
partnership between both institutions.

Canton, Ohio, is the global destination of a lifetime for 11 students from Shenzhen, China, marking a first for a Kent State University Regional Campus. This semester, Kent State University at Stark, located in Jackson Township, became the first of Kent State’s seven Regional Campuses to reach across the world and partner with an international university, China’s Shenzhen Polytechnic, hosting students and a faculty member for a semester.

Each visiting student is enrolled in 12 credit hours of English as a Second Language courses at Kent State Stark. They are also being educated in American culture and business.

Discussions of the program began when Bei Cai, associate professor of communication studies at Kent State Stark, was contacted by a Shenzhen Polytechnic colleague who reached out to her about a partnership.

“We would like to grow Kent State Stark’s global studies and multicultural studies programs,” says A. Bathi Kasturiarachi, assistant dean of academic affairs. “This is a part of our mission and strategy plan, to have more of a global presence.”

In addition to their academic curriculum, the international students are becoming involved in many different ways, from visiting attractions in Canton and Akron, as well as day trips in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh area to peer mentorship programs.

Since Kent State Stark is a nonresidential campus, a contract was created with a nearby hotel to house students for the semester and provide them with transportation to campus, Kasturiarachi says.

Kent State Stark and Shenzhen Polytechnic administrators are making plans to continue this program in future semesters. Chinese students are currently being recruited for the spring semester. Kent State Stark also is interested in sending students to China, Kasturiarachi says.

To learn more about Kent State Stark, visit www.kent.edu/stark.

For more information about Shenzhen Polytechnic, visit http://english.szpt.edu.cn.