UK Professor Teaches English Skills at Qingdao Tech

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 2, 2016) — Don Helme, associate professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Communication and Information, was in Qingdao, Shandong province of China, to work with scholars at Qingdao Technological University this summer. His three-week visit was sponsored by the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute’s annual summer UK Faculty China Short-Term Teaching Program.

“I was there to help refine interested scholars’ skills both in terms of writing and speaking English as well as to form connections with Qingdao Tech faculty who hopefully will provide future research and scholarship opportunities,” Helme said.

According to Huajing Maske, director of the Confucius Institute (UKCI) and executive director of the Office of China Initiatives, this program, which is in its second year, allows UK to strengthen its collaboration in teaching and research with Chinese universities.

This year, UKCI sent UK faculty to two Chinese universities, Jilin University and Qingdao Tech. Through its work with the Chinese universities, UKCI is able to send UK faculty with paid round-trip tickets, a teaching stipend by the receiving Chinese universities, living accommodations, food and weekend outings.

While on campus, Helme taught classes in English and in his area of specialty to faculty who wished to study abroad in the United States.

“Interested faculty are required to complete this three-week seminar in order to obtain permission and support from their home institution to study abroad,” Helme said.

During the weekends, Helme said he enjoyed the hospitality of Qingdao Tech.

“Qingdao Tech graciously took us on sightseeing tours to places of interest both in Qingdao and across the Shandong province,” Helme said. “While on these tours we experienced a city tour of Qingdao, a trip to hike up Laoshan Mountain near the city of Qingdao, and trips across the province to hike Mount Taishan in the city of Tai’an and to the city of Qufu to see the birthplace, temple and tomb of Confucius, himself.”

Helme was accompanied by Steven Alvarez, assistant professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, and James Wright, of Transylvania University, both sponsored by UKCI.

For more details about opportunities with the UK Faculty China Short-Term Teaching Program, please click here. 

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