DBS Lecturer, James Browne has just returned from a visit to DBS’s partner in China, Xiamen University, where he was invited to teach as a visiting expert. Xiamen University is situated in the foothills of the mountains facing the ocean and surrounded by Xiamen Bay. The main campus is picturesque with beautiful scenery and parks and is one of the main tourist attractions in Xiamen, which is a popular tourist destination in itself. The University has been voted the most beautiful campus in China and is consistently ranked in the Top 20 universities in China and is currently ranked at number 11.
James told us about his time at Xiamen University…
What was the purpose of the trip?
I was invited to teach as a visiting expert as part of our partnership with Xiamen University. The students study in China for 3 years as part of their Chinese accredited degree. This prior learning is then recognised by us here in DBS for direct entry to the final year of a Level 8 BA (Hons) in Accounting & Finance or the BA (Hons) in Financial Services.
Who did you speak to?
I had the pleasure of teaching one of the final year cohorts of approximately 90 students. I also had the opportunity to meet a number of faculty and management representing Xiamen University.
What were you doing over there?
The main focus was teaching for 2 weeks in the area of Management Accounting. Classes were quite intensive and we had class for 4 hours each day for 5 days each week.
I also did a little work promoting DBS and coming to study here in Dublin. I was able to use a very good video which had been recorded by some of the Xiamen students who were in Dublin in 2015/16. This was a very nice way to show what student life in Ireland is like.
Did you notice any differences between students there and here, do they have different types of questions etc?
I teach a lot of different nationalities here in Dublin so there were no real surprises. But again you can’t help but to be struck by the dedication and determination of these students to study very technical content in a foreign language and the absolute drive to excel in their studies.
The students are very appreciative and I was quite taken aback that I got round of applause at the end of the lecture EVERY DAY for my two weeks.
The other thing they excelled at was taking “selfies” with the “westerner” as they called me!
Anything else?
I was invited to give a public lecture at the Xiamen City Library during my visit. I delivered a 90 minute lecture on “Learning Styles & Examination Technique for Achieving Examination Success.” The lecture was well received by approximately 90 people, which wasn’t too bad for 9:30 am on a Saturday morning!
