Concordia Journal Home > Archives > February 12, 2009 issue >

Visitors from China tour campus 

For the 11th consecutive year Concordia hosted nearly 80 high school students from the Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada (BCCSC).

The students, accompanied by some of their teachers, are spending nearly three weeks in Canada for their Winter Camp — a whirlwind tour of universities across the country, each one hoping to make it on to the students’ application list.

Several administrators were on hand for the jam-packed two hours the students spent at Concordia before boarding a bus and heading to Ottawa for another tour there. While here, students mingled over breakfast with university representatives and students from China already studying here. Then, they were presented with academic options and an overview of services available to students here.

President Judith Woodsworth addressed the students, talking about her own travels through China, Concordia’s relationship with Norman Bethune and the opportunities students will have here to prepare for the global economy by studying alongside students representing over 150 different nations.

“Studying here is not only what you learn in the classroom, it’s what you learn about people,” said Woodsworth.

Later, Kelly Collins, International Students Office Coordinator and engineering student Shen Wen Yuan both addressed the students in Mandarin, outlining the advantages of studying here. BCCSC Executive Director Andy Truong complimented Collins on her expanding facility with the language by pointing out that her presentation becomes longer each year as her vocabulary grows.

The event, hosted by Roger Côté, Associate Vice-President Enrolment and Student Services, and organized by Pina Greco, Manager of Operations and Special Projects in that office, ended with an exchange of gifts and tours of the university.