Published: February 28, 2009 04:18 pm      

Shanghai artists show off skills in Commerce

COMMERCE — Commerce schools and businesses got an interesting visit Tuesday when a group Chinese artists came to call, and experience small-town America.

The artists had an exhibit Monday and Tuesday in the Sam Rayburn Student Center at Texas A&M University-Commerce. The group is part of the Oriental Rostrum, an organization that facilitates direct and interactive communication between scholars and the public. More than teaching the public knowledge, it also allows participants to acquire first-hand information about other societies.

Dr. Jiaming Sun, A&M-Commerce sociology and criminal justice faculty member, visited Shanghai Normal University in early June 2008 to discuss possible scholar exchange programs between A&M-Commerce and the Shanghai university.

“This is the third university they’ve visited,” Sun said. “This is their first time to come to Texas.”

The Chinese visitors had the usual expectations of the Lone Star State, according to Sun. They believed it would be all cattle ranches and oil wells. But they did find one thing in Texas that they really enjoyed.

“They say that Texas milk is delicious,” Sun said. “The people are also very friendly.”

The visiting Chinese educators are associated with Shanghai Normal University, which focuses on teacher training and the liberal arts and has an enrollment of about 38,000 students, and Nanjing Art College.

Sun said the university will be expanding the relationship with Shanghai in the near future. A&M-C President Dr. Dan Jones should be visiting the Shanghai Normal in October and another professor should be visiting in May.

The art exhibit was sponsored by the A&M-Commerce International Students Office and the Shanghai Social Sciences Association.