As I continue to reflect upon and make sense of the recent week-long Thacher trip to Japan and China, I’ve thought a great deal about why so many Chinese students want to study in the US.  Recent articles in the New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education, along with a story on NPR, document the growing number of Chinese students who are seeking access to the American political system.

While I was in China, I often wondered: what is it that we have that these students want?  Clearly, many Chinese secondary schools do a wonderful job of training their students, especially in preparation for the demanding and rigorous college entrance exams.  As a result, the Chinese educational system–I was told–fine-tunes students’ abilities to master a wide range of information.  As strong as the Chinese system is, however, many people with whom we met informed us that Chinese schools focus too much on entrance tests, causing many students to struggle to develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Coincidentally, while I was in China, I asked my AP Government students to imagine that they worked for a political consulting agency that one of the underdog Republican presidential candidates had contacted for help on his or her campaign.  The students were then charged with the tasks of creating a pamphlet to be handed out political rallies, a catchy sign with a slogan, and a minute-long ad extolling their respective candidate’s strengths.  To my pleasure, student began by “mastering” information, learning about the candidates’ backgrounds, views and positions, and strengths.  Then, they set to work “creating.”  While they didn’t finish the project having memorized the Republican presidential candidates from the last sixty years, the final product required them not only to use their “creative” abilities but to employ real-world skills.  I’ve been so proud of what the students created that I’m tempted to get in touch with some of the candidates who are in most need of help.

I’m quite sure that Chinese students and their families hope for more from American high schools and universities than simply a chance to engage in creative learning.  Indeed, the opportunity to learn English, experience life in another culture, and receive an “American education” are certainly some of the prizes.  But I also believe that when we unleash the best of our pedagogical practices and teaching styles, we export a home-grown product that is in high demand in other parts of the world.