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Barry McCarty, dean of enrollment services, gave a symposium lecture and represented the United States in December at the 40th anniversary celebration of Shanghai Foreign Language School in China.
He joined representatives from Russia, Germany, France, Australia, and Hong Kong at the event, which included the International Symposium of Elite Education. McCarty discussed the merits of a liberal arts education and explained the admissions process at the most selective liberal arts colleges in America.
In addition, he appeared on the Dragon TV evening news in Shanghai, answering questions about the school, the perception of it, liberal arts education, and his work at Lafayette.
“It was a fantastic opportunity and quite an interesting experience,” says McCarty. “When you are the guest of the Chinese people, you are treated just wonderfully. The treatment and care that goes into it are just phenomenal. All of us from around the world were commenting on that. They take it very seriously.”
One example was the reception given to the guests when they arrived, as the entire student body lined up with flower bouquets.
The prestigious school’s alumni include China’s ambassadors to the United States and United Nations and Guangxi Wang ’03, a standout student while at Lafayette who is researching radio frequency and microwave circuits in graduate studies at CalTech. Many local government and Communist Party officials send their children to the government-funded school, which does an excellent job in all college preparatory disciplines, not just foreign languages, says McCarty. Students live at the school, which is affiliated with Shanghai International Studies University.
McCarty, who also visited the school in October, notes that Lafayette is strongly encouraging its students to consider spending a semester or year studying in Southeast Asia. Affiliated guest programs have been established in China and Hong Kong.