POTTSTOWN PA – For the fourth time in six years, the international Fulbright Scholar Program has awarded Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) with a visiting scholar-in-residence, college spokeswoman Alana Mauger reported Friday (Jan. 20, 2012).
The college's Blue Bell campus at night
Science professor Dr. Jiaxi Xu of the Beijing University of Chemical Technology in Beijing, China, will teach organic chemistry and chemistry courses at the college during its Spring 2012 semester. The college operates campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown.
Xu has taught chemistry and related courses for more than 15 years at several prestigious Chinese universities, and has published numerous articles in his field. He hopes to “to be a cultural ambassador,” he said, “to give lectures on academic research, Chinese culture, and modern China to students, faculties and the public in the U.S. to foster mutual understanding between China and the U.S.”
To that end, Xu is welcoming requests by community organizations for visits and lectures. For more information, call Administrative Director for Social Sciences Jim Cameron at 215-641-6373.
MCCC Dean of Social Sciences Dr. Aaron Shatzman led a committee of faculty, administrators and staff members that wrote the college’s proposal for the Fulbright program. It “gives the college the opportunity to expose students and the community to the culture and expertise of outstanding, internationally-recognized scholars like Dr. Xu, who can share their knowledge and the best practices in their fields,” he said.
Earlier Fulbright visiting scholars at the college include Fernando Da Silva Camargo of Brazil, who taught Latin American history during 2006; Rosnani Binti Hashim of Malaysia, who introduced Islamic culture and practices to 36 classes during 2007; and Cephas Yao Agbemenu of Kenya, who taught contemporary African art and culture and woodcarving.
The Fulbright program is administered by the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Photo from Montgomery County Community College
