CAHSS Dean and Chair Give Lectures in China

A DSU dean and department chair recently traveled to China to give separate series of lectures and also explore possible student exchanges.

Dr. Marshall Stevenson, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, gave six lectures at three universities in Beijing, China.  At the invitation of Dr. Jianhua Zhang, director of the World History Center of the School of History at Beijing Normal University, Dr. Stevenson discussed African-American history, the origins of race and racism in the United States and prominent African-Americans who traveled to China from 1930-1974. 

Dr. Stevenson spoke at Renmin University as well as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences under the general topic of “Why Socialism/Communism did not Take Root in the United States.” 

To surmount the language barrier, Dr. Stevenson was accompanied on the trip by Dr. Yinghong Cheng, professor of history, who served as his interpreter during his lectures.

Dr. Akwasi Osei, chair of the Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy, recently returned from a summer trip to China where he engaged in talks with officials from Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) about several possible study abroad scenarios that could be pursued with DSU.

Dr. Stevenson also held similar talks with BLCU officials on potential agreements between the two institutions, which would revive a previous relationship between DSU and BLCU that existed from 2006-2009 and resulted in study abroad opportunities for some DSU students.

Also while in China, Dr. Osei gave lectures on his research on China’s economic and political activity in Africa.