NU's College of Education facilitating training program for Chinese delegates in Ontario

Niagara University's College of Education and SuOn College are co-hosting a training program for 24 Chinese university administrators from Oct. 28 through Nov. 11.

Constructed by the Ontario division of NU's College of Education, the program is intended to offer an overview of Canada's publicly funded educational institutions, including school districts, colleges and universities. Participants will also come to understand the role of the Ontario College of Teachers, its Ministry of Education, Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, and how programs and faculty are accredited.

The Chinese delegation includes deans and deputy deans from several universities, as well as presidents of "normal schools" for teacher education. Among the universities represented are Jiangsu Normal University, Jiangsu University of Technology, Nantong University, Jiangsu University and Yangzhou University.

The educators are sponsored by the Chinese government.

"Niagara University is pleased to have been invited to lead this unique endeavor, and to involve our faculty from teacher education, educational leadership, and our Ph.D. program, as well as renowned leaders in the field," said Thomas Donovan, director of Niagara University's programs in Ontario.

As part of the program, delegates will visit and learn about Niagara University's teacher certification programs, philosophy, conceptual framework and instruction and approach to assessment.

The program consists of two, two-hour sessions each day, while weekends are comprised of various cultural activities.

SuOn College is one of the largest training centers for Chinese educators, annually hosting more than 1,000 delegates from China, the vast majority from the Jiangsu province. Headquartered in Toronto, SuOn's mission is to provide its program participants with the best possible learning experiences, an understanding and appreciation of different cultural values, and to create a bridge for international exchanges between China and North America.

"We are very interested in establishing a strong partnership with SuOn College," said Dr. Hung Le, Niagara's vice president for international relations. "This program should serve as a building block toward a meaningful collaboration with SuOn, and extend the international vision of NU, especially in terms of the holistic preparation we provide to pre-service teachers and educational leaders."

In Ontario, Niagara University offers a BPS program in teacher education, a master's in educational leadership, and Additional Qualifications courses. Its College of Education operates under the written consent of the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

For more information, call 905-294-7260 or visit www.niagara.edu/ontario.