U.S.-China Center for Animal Health selects new Chinese students for pre-veterinary studies at Kansas State University, looks to expand program
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
A panel of faculty members with the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health interviews a prospective student for the Joint DVM Program. From left are Qijing Zhang, associate dean at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Dori Borjesson, chair of the pathology, microbiology and immunology department at the University of California, Davis; Sean Owens, associate dean at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; Frank Blecha, associate dean for research in Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Jishu Shi, director of the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health; Lei Wang, manager of education programs for the U.S.-China Center; and Meng Li, deputy director of the Division of American and Oceanian Affairs for the China Scholarship Council.
Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — The U.S.-China Center for Animal Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University has selected four new students to attend the university in fall 2016 for pre-veterinary studies through the U.S.-China Joint Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program.
The students were selected after interviews that were conducted in China in late February.
"We worked with a new host university this year, Sichuan Agricultural University, where we conducted the interviews," said Jishu Shi, director of the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health. "We hope to hold interviews at a different Chinese university each year to help build more awareness for the program and strengthen our partnerships."
Each interview lasted about 45 minutes, giving each member of the interview team a chance to ask questions designed to help identify the students who will have the best chance of succeeding in one of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree programs at the participating universities. The interview team, led by Kansas State University's Frank Blecha, associate dean for research of for the College of Veterinary Medicine and university distinguished professor of immunophysiology, consists of delegates from Kansas State University, China Scholarship Council and the three partnering universities.
The admitted students are Kaiwen Chen, Ming Xu, Yuqi Yan and Hao Shi, who are from South China Agricultural University, Huazhong Agricultural University, Zhejiang University and Nanjing Agricultural University, respectively. These four were selected from an initial group of eight senior undergraduates from seven agricultural universities in China, which also included China Agricultural University, Northeast Agricultural University and Jilin University.
Students selected for the U.S.-China Joint DVM degree program must complete one year of pre-veterinary studies at Kansas State University, and then they may apply for admittance at Kansas State University or one of three other universities which are partners in the program: Iowa State University, University of California, Davis and University of Minnesota.
The U.S.-China Joint DVM program is sponsored by Kansas State University, the China Scholarship Council, International Veterinary Collaboration for China/Zoetis, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association and Banfield Pet Hospital. The program also partners with the American Veterinary Medical Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of California Davis, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and 12 agricultural universities in China. The U.S.-China Center for Animal Health coordinates and leads the partnership in mobilizing the program.
The center also used this trip to China as an opportunity to promote exchanges of veterinary education and research between the U.S. and China. After the interviews, each member of the team gave presentations to an assembly of more than 400 students at Sichuan Agricultural University about U.S. veterinary education curricula and research interests and progress at their respective colleges.
After this trip, Shi and Wang visited National Chung Hsing University, where they had been invited to talk about the Joint Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program.
"The faculty at National Chung Hsing University College of Veterinary Medicine would like to collaborate with us to allow their students to come to K-State for their pre-veterinary studies and DVM programs," Wang said. "However, the students would have to cover their own DVM education expenses, because Taiwan does not have a funding organization like the China Scholarship Council that supports the Chinese students."
The U.S.-China Center group also met with Fuh-Sheng Shieu, president of National Chung Hsing University, and two Kansas State University alumni, Jane Lu and John Harvey. Lu is professor and dean of the Office of International Affairs at National Chung Hsing University. She earned a doctorate in agricultural economics at Kansas State University in 1996. Harvey, a 1970 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine alumnus, recently retired from his position as a faculty member at the University of Florida and was invited to teach in Taiwan for a month.
Currently, the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health is facilitating the establishment of a memorandum of understanding between Kansas State University and National Chung Hsing University. The agreement may bring students from the Chinese university to Kansas State University for pre-veterinary studies and eventually for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs at Kansas State University or other universities in the U.S. In addition, the U.S.-China Center also arranges internships and lecture opportunities in China for Kansas State University Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students and faculty, respectively.
"The U.S.-China Center for Animal Health is committed to building animal health leaders for a global community," Blecha said. "We truly believe we can make a difference in this world by preparing our students for global leadership. Together with the center's partners, we have a chance to make a difference in our communities—locally, regionally, and globally. Our mission is to help our students and faculty become global leaders in animal health."
