TROY – Top-ranking Higher education officials from the People’s Republic of China visited Troy University as an official delegation to the sixth annual Sino-American 1-2-1 Dual Degree Program’s annual convocation.

Some 156 students from mainland China currently attend TROY as part of the program, in which a student from China begins university at a home institution, transfers to TROY for two years and returns to the home institution to complete studies. At commencement, the 1-2-1 graduate receives a degree from both the home institution and from TROY.

The delegation, consisting of 16 members representing nine partner universities, arrived on the Troy Campus on Nov. 14 and toured Troy and attended the convocation on Nov. 15.

Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. said he plans to expand the program to include at least 200 students by 2010, and announced plans to locate a University location in China, although no timeframe has been established for that effort. Hawkins said that effort would involve Gov. Bob Riley’s office and the Alabama Development Office and create a State of Alabama presence in mainland China for trade and education.

“Troy University has been committed to the growth of the 1-2-1 Program,” Dr. Hawkins said. “We have been very proud of our Chinese students. They are good students who are serious about their academic work.”

The 1-2-1 Program enrolled its first class of 40 students in Fall 2001 and has enrolled 235 students, graduating 65. Last summer, the University held its third commencement in China with 24 graduates. To date, 15 1-2-1 graduates have returned to TROY for graduate study. Currently, there are 262 students from China who are enrolled at TROY as part of a 700-member international student class representing 50 countries.

Xi'an University President Su Sanquing, the delegation’s official leader, said he hopes the partnership will expand to involve more American faculty and students traveling to China.

“We hope this partnership will expand to be two-way and American students will attend Chinese universities to fully realize the interaction between students of different cultures,” Su said.

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