Explore, Encounter, Exchange

Ten students from the Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology (BIPT) visited campus during the last week of January as part of a tour of U.S. Institutions of higher learning that included Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Moravian University. Primarily engineering and science majors, the students rank at the top of their class at BIPT and are very interested in attending graduate school in the United States. Some expressed a strong interest in coming to Moravian.

During their time here, they attended several classes—one with other international students--and participated in a special class on leadership presented by Professor of Psychology Michelle Schmidt. In addition to touring the campus, the students enjoyed walking and shopping on Main Street and touring the Steel Stacks complex in South Bethlehem.

To celebrate their visit, a luncheon was held in the HUB’s Laros room. President Bryon Grigsby, Scott Dams, Steven Soba, Robyn Apgar and student ambassador Hamdy Agha attended. In an exchange of culture, the Beijing students performed several traditional arts: tai chi, the preparation and serving of tea, and a duet on recorder. Gifts were exchanged and then everyone sat down to a meal and conversation.

What was the students’ impression of Moravian University? They loved the openness of the campus—their own is enclosed by a brick wall—and they were particularly impressed by the freedom students have to exchange thoughts, ideas, and comments among themselves and with their professors. Some expressed considerable enthusiasm over the possibility of coming to Moravian for graduate school.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them,” says Robyn Apgar, Director of International Admission, who goes on to share that she is working to create a partnership—hopefully an exchange agreement--between Moravian University and BIPT. The details are still to be determined.

In the meantime, our ten new friends from Beijing have returned home to share their experiences and their enthusiasm for Moravian University with their fellow students, and we hope to see a few of them return to join our community here in Bethlehem.