Wenzhou-Kean University: A Unique Sino-American Educational Partnership

Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) stands as a distinctive model of China-US cooperation in education. Situated on approximately 500 acres in the rural mountainous region outside of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, WKU offers an authentic American educational experience with extensive opportunities for international exchange. As one of only three American universities approved to develop and operate a full-scale campus in China, WKU represents a significant endeavor in cross-cultural education.

Establishment and Accreditation

Wenzhou-Kean University is a province-state friendship project between Zhejiang Province and New Jersey in the United States. It is a Chinese-American jointly established higher education institution with independent legal person status and limited liabilities. The institution's establishment was a gradual process, beginning with the application for preparation approved by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MOE) on November 16th, 2011. This initial application involved a cooperative effort between Wenzhou University and Kean University USA. On March 31st, 2014, the MOE officially announced the approval of the establishment of Wenzhou-Kean University, making it the first China-US cooperative university in Zhejiang province and the second in China.

The site is accredited through Kean University by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). In 2013, the Middle States Commission for Higher Education affirmed Wenzhou-Kean as an additional instructional location of Kean University. In 2014, following the successful completion of the “in preparation” probationary period, the Chinese Ministry of Education announced the approval of the establishment of Wenzhou-Kean University, making it the first China-US cooperative university in Zhejiang province and the second in China. The Chinese Ministry of Education granted approval for Wenzhou-Kean graduates to receive dual bachelor degree certificates from Kean University and Wenzhou-Kean in addition to a Chinese graduation certificate from Wenzhou-Kean, thereby achieving compliance with relevant regulations in China. In 2018, the Bachelor Degree Conferral Evaluation Panel of Zhejiang Province concluded that Wenzhou-Kean University possesses the qualifications to confer Baccalaureate degrees. In November 2013, the University was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In March 2018, the Bachelor Degree Conferral Evaluation Panel of the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province concluded that WKU has the qualifications to confer bachelor degrees.

Governance and Educational Philosophy

The University adopts such a governance structure as the Chancellor shall act as the executive officer, and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. WKU has been dedicated to the principle of “providing students with different ways of development”. Aiming to build itself into a high-level education institution as a fine example of Sino-foreign education partnership, the University strives to cultivate students with global vision and patriotic sentiment, pressing ahead China’s higher education reform and better serving regional economic, social and cultural development.

WKU adheres to the principle of “student-centered” and strives to provide high-quality undergraduate education while gradually expanding its graduate programs.

Campus Development and Facilities

In the first year of operation (2012-2013), Kean held classes and housed students using space within Wenzhou University, as a collaboration between the two institutions. In the second year, Kean moved into its own campus with a general education building for all classes, administrative support offices and conference rooms, a dining hall and the first residence halls and faculty housing. This group of buildings constituted Phase 1 of the campus building project. Phase 2 was completed in Fall 2015 with new residence halls and dining halls for all incoming and current students. The College of Business and Public Management Building and faculty housing were brought into operation in January 2018. Athletics Center opened in Spring 2018. The second student dormitory complex, the Ge Hekai Building housing Architecture, Design and Computer Science programs, a science lab facility, and the Stadium were completed in 2021. The Student Learning and Activity Center (Library) and WKU Administration Building will be completed in spring 2023, and the College of Science, Mathematics and Technology Building is expected to be completed in 2023.

Covering an area of 494 acres in land planning, the campus of Wenzhou-Kean University is located in a beautiful township called Li’ao in Wenzhou. The style of Chinese layout and elements of American university are embodied in the campus buildings and facilities. The University strives for building a humanistic, ecological, intellectual, and outreach campus with merged Chinese and American cultures. Currently, the first phase of the campus has been completed, including both existing and under-construction buildings, covering approximately 300,000 square meters, meeting the basic educational and teaching needs. The planning for the second phase, spanning around 329 acres, has been largely finalized. Efforts are underway to advance the construction of student dormitories(section 3) and faculty housing(phase 2), making way for the emergence of an international, modern, and open university campus. Over the course of twelve years, starting from the integration of Chinese and American education, WKU has integrated the natural beauty of Wenzhou’s mountains and waters with American culture.

Academic Programs and Curriculum

Faculty of Wenzhou-Kean University is recruited internationally, and English is the medium of instruction. 100% of the curriculum are provided by Kean University and all the courses are taught in English. 100% of the faculty are recruited globally. The University offers small size classes and adopts an inquiry-based learning approach. China’s national conditions and culture education are embedded in teaching practices.

The number of programs and opportunities for study has grown from an original four programs, in Accounting, Finance, English and Computer Science, to eighteen programs in Accounting, Finance, Management, Global Business, Marketing, Economics, Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematical Sciences, English, Communication, Psychology, Architectural Studies, Graphic Design, Industrial Design and Interior Design. campus. All entering freshmen are required to participate in a Pre-University Intensive English Program (PIEP) prior to the start of classes.

The University comprises five colleges-College of Business and Public Management, College of Architecture and Design, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology and College of Education. The University now offers 18 undergraduate programs with six disciplines, namely, economics, science, engineering, literature, management and art. WKU has established a diverse and mixed discipline in the field of science, engineering, literature and arts with economics and management as its pillar. The University boasts one provincial first-class discipline (Applied Economics). Global Business, Computer Science, Finance, Marketing, Graphic Design, English, Biology, Accounting, Architectural Studies, and Mathematics and Applied Mathematics are included in the provincial first-class undergraduate programs list. Global Business, Computer Science, and Graphic Design are listed as Zhejiang Provincial Higher Education Distinctive Program. Mathematics and Applied Mathematics are included in the city-level characteristic program.

Read also: Tuition at Kean

WKU now offers eight graduate programs, including Global Management(M.B.A), Instruction and Curriculum(M.A), Computer Information Systems(M.S.), Biotechnology Science (M.S.), Architecture (M.Arch), Psychology (M.A), Educational Administration (M.A.), Educational Leadership (Ed.D.). The University will roll out more graduate programs gradually, including Accounting (M.S.), Counseling and Supervision (Ph.D.), and Combined School and Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.). Students will receive a degree from Kean University after graduation.

Faculty and Staff

WKU currently has about 500 faculty and staff, with around 220 faculty members. The faculty members come from 40 countries and regions around the world. More than 90% of the faculty members are foreign nationals, with the majority holding international teaching backgrounds and doctoral degrees.

Student Body and Admissions

The campus currently enrolls more than 4,000 students and anticipates an enrollment of about 7,000 full-time students by Fall 2025. Student numbers have grown from a class of 205 in Fall 2012 to more than 4,000 students in fall 2022. Wenzhou-Kean admits Tier 1 (the top tier) from this examination. In addition, a very small number of students are admitted contingently from Tier 2. The rest of the students are recruited through alternate admission processes referred to as “3-in-1” and the independent admissions.

In 2023, the University recruited about 1100 students. Now it has a student population of about 4500. WKU and KU have exchanged 1500 students over the past few years.

Graduation and Alumni Success

Wenzhou-Kean had its first commencement in May 2016 with over 180 students graduated. At Wenzhou-Kean University's seventh commencement in June 2022, the number of graduating students increased to 530. Over the past 7 years, 2,760 students in total have graduated from Wenzhou-Kean University. Now, WKU has graduated eight cohorts-around 3300 students have graduated from the University. 60% of them choose to further their studies in the most prestigious universities in the world. Among these, roughly 62% have been admitted to world-class institutions such as Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, University College London in the UK, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Melbourne in Australia, the University of Hong Kong, and the University of Toronto in Canada, all of which are ranked within the top 100 by QS World University Rankings.43% have gained admission to universities ranked within the top 50 globally. Some students opt to pursue postgraduate studies in domestic institutions, with successful admissions to prestigious universities in China, including Peking University, Fudan University, Tongji University, and Southwest University of Political Science and Law. For the graduating class of 2023, the graduate school placement stands at 75%, with nearly 60% securing positions in the world’s top 50 universities. According to the data released by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, the Class of 2019 ranks the 13th by the rate of graduate school placement rate.

Read also: Notable Kean Alumni

Research and Recognition

According to Scopus statistics, WKU witnessed a significant increase in academic impact in 2022, with a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 2.28, positioning it at the forefront among Chinese universities. The proportion of highly cited papers in the top 10% (Outputs in Top Citation Percentiles) is 17.9%, exceeding the Chinese average of 11.4%. The ratio of papers published in the top 10% of the world’s most cited academic journals (Publications in Top Journal Percentiles) is 19.1%, surpassing the Chinese average of 18.5%.

Many outstanding students participated in various global platforms, including APEC meetings, World Youth Leadership Camp, and Youth Leadership Conference. Students also won awards in many high-level competitions both in China and abroad, such as Imagine Cup Global Competition, Mathematical Contest in Modeling, etc. WKU students also published papers in leading magazines, including Frontiers in Microbiology and Bioinformatics.

The College of Business and Public Management(CBPM), in collaboration with CBPM at Kean USA, earned accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); an accreditation held by only 5% of business schools globally. The Accounting program maintains its recognition from the Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA Australia), the Visual Communication Design program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in the United States, and the Architecture program has gained initial candidacy status with the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) in the United States. The Psychology program is recognized by the Psi Chi International Honor Society. Students will receive dual degrees from Wenzhou-Kean University and Kean University in addition to a graduation certificate from Wenzhou-Kean University.

Campus Life and Resources

WKU strives to create a safe and well-equipped learning and living community. The university hosts diverse events to guide students in utilizing available resources, promoting academic success and personal growth. WKU offers a wide range of academic programs across six disciplines: Economics, Science, Engineering, Literature, Management, and Arts. WKU has a strong focus on sustainability and has implemented various initiatives to create a green campus.

On campus, exchange students can participate in sports, clubs, and student organizations. The state-of-the-art campus includes various cafes, recreational centers, music facilities, and dormitories where students can relax after class. As part of this program, students will participate in extracurricular excursions led by WKU staff.

Financial Aspects

All costs for developing and operating the campus are financed by the Chinese partners. The construction project and all costs of operating Wenzhou-Kean University will be paid for through tuition and financing provided by the municipal and provincial governments in China. There will be no cost to Kean University or the state of New Jersey.

Practical Information for Employees

Shuttles are provided for employees to travel from their apartment to the campus. There is no additional cost for shuttle transportation. Other means of in-city transportation include taxis and buses.

Chinese banks are available such as Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, etc. There are no American banks. All branches or sub-branches as well as shopping malls have ATMs. Two ATMs are available on campus. Foreign credit cards can withdraw RMB from ATMs of Bank of China. Credit cards issued by Bank of America can withdraw RMB from ATMs of China Construction Bank, commission free. Foreign credit cards are not accepted in China, except at a few high-end department stores. It is required for all employees to open a local bank account in Wenzhou due to China’s foreign exchange control policy and for reimbursement purposes. Renminbi (RMB) is the official currency of China. Prior to arrival, please be sure to exchange your money to RMB for immediate needs. All employees must provide the required banking information on their direct deposit form. Employees can choose one or two accounts for direct deposit. Many employees choose to complete the form with their current bank account information (for the bank account in their home country) and later provide information to change their deposit to a Chinese bank account when they open one in China.

For purchase of goods or services in China or with a vendor registered in China, "Fapiaos" (invoices) are recognized as the only valid voucher for book-keeping purposes, pursuant to Chinese financial laws and regulations, with only a few exceptions. Fapiao is a kind of financial voucher with pre-determined and uniform format, printed and issued under the supervision of tax authorities. A Fapiao should bear the following information: name, quantity and price of each item purchased. In case a Fapiao does not have adequate room for the list of all commodities/services, a separate list of the purchase must be acquired, bearing a special stamp for Fapiao issuance. Inaccurate Fapiaos may compromise their validity for reimbursement.

The University cafeteria does not accept cash, but every employee has an account on the campus card system. WKU encourages the use of technology in the classroom and supports the use of a laptop computer for teaching and learning. All full-time faculty are issued a laptop at the beginning of their assignment.

Tenure-Track faculty earn twelve and one-half (12.5) sick days for ten (10) months of employment. Tenure-Track faculty do not receive vacation days. Twelve (12) Month Lecturers will earn one (1) vacation day for every month of employment, for a total of twelve (12) vacation days earned per year in their first year of contract and will earn one and one-quarter (1 and 1/4) vacation days for every month of employment, for a total of fifteen (15) vacation days earned per year in their second year of a contract. Managerial staff members earn fifteen (15) sick days and twenty-two (22) vacation days on a fiscal year basis, July 1st through June 30th. Faculty are appointed for a ten-month period and payment is made on a ten-month schedule per State of New Jersey regulations.

Location and Climate

Wenzhou is located in the southeast portion of the Zhejiang Province. “Wenzhou” means “a pleasant and mild land.” Wenzhou’s annual average temperature is about 17°C (62.6 °F). The humid subtropical climate results in short winters and long, hot, humid summers. Wenzhou exports food, tea, wine, jute, timber, paper, Alunite (a non-metallic mineral used to make alum and fertilizer).

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