Troy University News Press Release

June 10, 2004

 

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Tom Davis or Russell Sellers : (334) 670-3196; tomdavis@troy.edu

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First students in Troy University ’s 1-2-1 program to graduate on June 16
   On June 16, Troy University will participate in commencement ceremonies unlike any other in its 117-year history as 20 students will receive degrees in Suzhou City in the People’s Republic of China .
   The occasion is the first commencement ceremony for the 1-2-1 program, which allows Troy University students from China to study their first year in China , spend their sophomore and junior years in Troy and then return home to complete their studies. The program, officially called the 1-2-1 Sino-American Joint Degree Program, began in the United States in 2001, with 40 students traveling to Troy .
   The students will receive degree from both Troy University and their home university. Four Chinese universities will be represented in the first commencement-- Soochow University , Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an Petroleum University and Fujian Teachers’ University. The commencement ceremony will be held at Soochow University in Suzhou City .
   Dr. Jack Hawkins , Jr., Chancellor, and Dr. Curtis Porter, Dean of International Programs, will represent Troy University in the ceremony, with Dr. Hawkins scheduled to deliver remarks and award diplomas.
   The students will earn degrees in several disciplines, including business administration, computer science and broadcast journalism.
   Dr. Hawkins said this first commencement ceremony will be a landmark day for Troy University ’s international education efforts.
   “When I visited several of our partner universities in China in 2002, I told them that we were building a global village in Troy , Alabama ,” Dr. Hawkins said. “This program is an important part of our internationalization efforts and this commencement ceremony is proof that the 1-2-1 program works.”
   The program is designed to ensure that students from China are granted visas to the United States to study, something some U.S. State Department officials have historically been reluctant to do because many students did not return home.
   “The 1-2-1 program allows students to earn a degree from an American university—which is highly coveted—but they earn the degree from TSU only by returning to their home university to complete their fourth year of study,” Dr. Hawkins said.
   Dr. Hawkins emphasized that the 1-2-1 Program, like all of Troy University ’s international programs, benefits students from America by introducing them to other cultures and customs.
   There are 27 partner universities from China in the program, 17 of which have sent students to Troy . Currently, 49 students from China are enrolled at Troy University .