UMF President McDonnell extends warm welcome to visiting Chinese Scholar Dr. Ruifang Han
FARMINGTON, ME (February 21, 2024)—The University of Maine at Farmington has initiated a new international partnership with Northeast Normal University (NENU), a public university in Changchun, China, which specializes in the training of future educators.
Founded in 1946, NENU is one of China’s top three normal universities. Known as “the cradle of teachers,” NENU has over 14,000 undergraduates, 15,000 graduate students and over 800 international students. The university is comprised of 21 schools, 82 undergraduate specialties, 37 Masters programs and 22 Post-doctoral Research Centers.
Under its new agreement with NENU, UMF is pleased to welcome its first visiting Chinese Scholar, Dr. Ruifang Han, associate professor of International Chinese Language Education. Dr. Han is teaching courses in Chinese Language & Culture at UMF this spring and will remain at Farmington through the fall 2024 semester.
UMF visiting Chinese Scholar, Dr. Ruifang Han
“We extend our warmest welcome to Dr. Han and our new international partner Northeast Normal University in China,” said UMF president Joseph McDonnell. “We are grateful to the U.S. Dept. of Education and NENU for their support of our new Language & Culture initiative and the career and cultural opportunities this offers to Maine students.”
Visiting Chinese Scholar Dr. Han and her Chinese Language and Culture course students helped celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration with a Dragon Dance, drumming and food and cultural activities.
Dr. Han received her doctorate in Chinese Philology from Jilin University in 2109, specializing in the teaching of Chinese to speakers of other languages (TCSOL training). She has extensive experience teaching Chinese to American students, having taught at the University of Alaska Anchorage for two years from 2014 to 2016.
UMF students and staff enjoyed learning Chinese calligraphy.
Dr. Han’s courses are part of UMF’s Language & Culture initiative supported by the UMF Office of Experiential and Global Education under an Undergraduate International Studies & Foreign Language (UISFL) grant from the U.S. Dept. of Education. With generous support from NENU and the UISFL grant, UMF is planning to send a delegation of undergraduate and graduate students to China this June where they will participate in Chinese Language & Culture workshops in Changchun and then travel to Beijing and Xi’an to experience more of China’s rich, diverse culture and history.
For more information about this program and the Chinese Language & Culture courses offered at UMF, contact Linda Beck, associate dean of Experiential and Global Education at linda.beck@maine.edu, or 207-778-7122.
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A nationally recognized public liberal arts college known for its commitment to the creative arts, teacher preparation, the health arts and sciences, the environment, business and public service, UMF provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2024/02/RP234-040A.jpg
Photo Caption: UMF visiting Chinese Scholar, Dr. Ruifang Han
Photo Credit: UMF Image
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2024/02/RP234-040B.jpg
Photo Caption: Visiting Chinese Scholar Dr. Han and her Chinese Language and Culture course students helped celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration with a Dragon Dance, drumming and food and cultural activities.
Photo Credit: UMF Image
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2024/02/RP234-040C-scaled.jpg
Photo Caption: UMF students and staff enjoyed learning Chinese calligraphy.
Photo Credit: UMF Image
