The PIRE-ECCI program will catalyze on-campus intercultural communication and awareness, using the presence of a substantial Chinese student community at UCSB to enrich the inter-cultural experiences of science and engineering graduate and undergraduate students. Although such awareness and interactions will grow naturally out of the PIRE-ECCI, the process can be accelerated by targeted efforts. American students returning from XRVs in Dalian, who already possess basic Chinese language proficiency and have experienced significant cultural contact, will be an organizational nucleus for cross-cultural events. The PIRE-ECCI will provide moral support as well as seed funds for student-organized cultural functions, designed to eliminate intercultural barriers on the UCSB campus.
Events will be hosted and advertised by UCSB's Multi-Cultural Center, which will hold quarterly Evening Student Forums. These will include a pot-luck dinner followed by educational activities. Programs will include local invited speakers, documentary films and student panel discussions, especially involving PIRE-ECCI students who have recently returned from XRVs. The UCSB Chinese Students and Scholars Association has agreed to co-sponsor these events and we will invite participation from the UCSB Chinese-American Association. These student organizations encourage Chinese and American students to participate in joint activities, while developing an understanding and appreciation for the Chinese culture.
MultiCultural Center Events Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Download the lecture slides here.