01 Major Introduction
The Joint Education Institute of Zhejiang Normal University and the University of Kansas is the first high-level Chinese-foreign cooperative educational institution focusing on the field of education in China to be approved by the Ministry of Education in April 2023. The institute is co-managed by Zhejiang Normal University, one of the top 100 universities in China, and the University of Kansas, a well-known research university in the United States. The university's undergraduate major in primary education and four master's majors, namely science education, psychological counseling and counseling, educational measurement and special education, are based on the profound academic background of both Sino-American cooperative universities. The university's curriculum and joint research practice are designed to integrate curriculum and open up an international perspective. The institute is dedicated to cultivating high-quality research-oriented teachers with an international perspective, integrated literacy, sustainable development ability and educational excellence.
Zhejiang Normal University has established a doctoral programme in the discipline of education, a doctoral programme in education, a postdoctoral station in the discipline of education, and a doctoral programme in the interdisciplinary disciplines of intelligent education and teacher education neuroscience. Pedagogy is the dominant characteristic discipline in Zhejiang Province. Pedagogy has been awarded a B+ grade in the discipline assessment of the Ministry of Education and an A- in the 2024 Times Higher Education China Discipline Rating. It ranks 9th in the soft subject China Best Discipline Ranking (Pedagogy) in 2022, and the professional degree level of the Ministry of Education is assessed as A-. In the 2024 Soft Science Ranking of Chinese universities, Zhejiang Normal University's science education programme is ranked first in the country (A+).
The University of Kansas is a member of the Association of American Universities, an alliance of North America's top research universities. The school's education discipline is ranked 51-75 in the world in the 2023 Soft Science World Class discipline ranking. The School of Education and Human Sciences is ranked 20th in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges for Education in America, and its special education programme is the second-best in the nation.
Academic Leader
Huang Xiao, PhD, is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Zhejiang Normal University. He is the Dean of the School of Education (School of Teacher Education), Dean of the School of Joint Education, and Director of the Science Education Research Center. He was selected as an expert of the National Training Program of the Ministry of Education, an expert of the international ISO International Standard for school-Enterprise cooperation TC/286/WG 4, a science and technology expert of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and He is an outstanding teacher of the National Master of Education, a young social science scholar of Zhejiang Province, a discipline leader of young and middle-aged institutions of higher learning in Zhejiang Province, and a 151 Talent Project of Zhejiang Province. He is the reviewer of the Science & Education (SCI) journal, the Asian editor of the HPS& ST newsletter, the ninth director of the Chinese Society of Education, and the director of the China Youth Science and Technology Instructors Association. He is also the Secretary General of the Physics Education and Popularization Committee, the deputy chairman of the Science Teacher Education Committee, a member of the Provincial Basic Education Curriculum Reform professional Steering Committee, the deputy chairman of the provincial college Student Practice teaching Steering Committee, and holds other academic positions. He has overseen six key projects funded by the National Social Science Foundation (Education), the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Provincial Philosophy Society. He has published over 40 papers in leading international journals, including JRST, JET, and RISE, as well as in major domestic education journals. He has also published monographs, translations, and textbooks. His research interests include science education and teacher education.
Dr. Rick Ginsberg is a Professor, doctoral supervisor, and Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Kansas, USA. He previously served as Dean of the College of Education at Colorado State University and has held various roles at other institutions, including the Chicago Board of Education, the University of South Carolina, the University of New Orleans, and Roosevelt University. He has served as Chairman of the Kansas Professional Standards Board, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, Board member of the Educator Training Certification Board, and member of the Standards and Performance Reporting Committee of the Educator Training Certification Board. He has won the Excellent Professional Publication Award of the American Association of College Administrators and the Annual Recommended Book Award of the National Library Association for Learning Disabilities. He has co-authored and edited four books, authored more than 20 book chapters, and published dozens of journal articles. His main research interests are educational policy, school change and educational accountability.
02 Training objectives
The primary education major at Joint Education Institute is designed to cultivate senior composite outstanding talents with educator spirit, broad academic professional quality, open global competency, solid educational practice ability, outstanding self-development ability, and the ability to effectively solve real problems in primary education and teaching.
The programme is based on the educational philosophy of cultivating students' advanced thinking and innovative spirit.
03 Training ways
Primary education majors adhere to the combination of theory and practice, pay attention to small class teaching, bilingual teaching, training of famous teachers, so that students can enjoy the education resources of international famous schools without going abroad; Let students who want to study or experience abroad achieve seamless connection in terms of language, professional quality and thinking; Enable students who want to become excellent teachers to perceive rich teaching experiences, participate in real teaching research, and achieve immersive problem solving.
04 Major characteristic
We would like to bring to your attention the following points regarding the double degree programmes offered by well-known universities in China and the United States.4+0 training mode: small class teaching, bilingual teaching, access to the education resources of international famous schools without going abroad.
The programme brings together more than 40 PhDs from the two universities with overseas work and study experience to form the most internationally competitive faculty team. This includes Professor Zhou Zhonghe, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Kansas alumnus, and Professor Ma Luting. The College welcomed the following individuals in various capacities: Dr. Sheree Willis, Ph.D., University of Kansas; Dr. Connie Chow of Harvard University; and Dr. Jaclyn Dudek of Penn State University.
Third, 100% of the students enjoy the opportunity to go abroad (overseas) visiting study exchange.
The Institute offers all students the chance to study abroad. We will implement an international literacy and ability improvement plan for undergraduates, enhance students' international dialogue abilities, and provide students with numerous opportunities for international exchange.
Fourth, high-level discipline platform support:
1+9+N platform support: The primary education major benefits from Zhejiang Normal University's expertise in pedagogy, as well as its distinctive doctoral programme in pedagogy. It also leverages a national experimental teaching demonstration centre, a provincial key laboratory, a Zhejiang Province philosophy and social science key research base, and other nine provincial innovation platforms and advanced education and teaching facilities. These nine research platforms provide a robust foundation for students' development and growth.
Fifth,integrate the quality courses of the two schools
The Joint Education Institute implements the four-thirds curriculum design of Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools, and forms the core curriculum integrated by the University of Kansas and Zhejiang Normal University. The University of Kansas courses account for over one-third of the total courses, with the University of Kansas core courses accounting for over one-third of the total core courses. Furthermore, the number of professional core courses undertaken by University of Kansas teachers accounts for over one-third of the total teaching hours of professional core courses undertaken by University of Kansas teachers. The school places great emphasis on immersing students in the field of Chinese and American educational practice. This is designed to foster creativity, innovation, competitiveness, leadership and influence. Four types of classrooms have been created to facilitate this: discussion-based theoretical classrooms, on-site practice classrooms, diversified activity classrooms and high-end international classrooms.
05 Graduation prospect
The solid international literacy of this major provides students with a strong competitive advantage in the job market. Graduates can be qualified for primary education and teaching, and bilingual teaching institutions can leverage their advantages. They also have experience in educational administrative departments related to management quality. At the same time, the dual degrees of well-known universities in China and the United States provide students with great convenience and strong support for further study.
06 Future development
The solid international literacy of students in this major provides them with a strong competitive advantage in the job market. Graduates can be qualified for primary education and teaching, and bilingual teaching institutions can leverage their advantages. They also have experience in educational administrative departments related to management quality. Furthermore, the dual degrees of renowned universities in China and the United States have recently been highlighted as a potential avenue for collaboration. In a recent reply to Ramon Repollet, president of Ken University in the United States, President Xi Jinping encouraged Chinese and American universities to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, with the aim of promoting Sino-US friendship. The college will implement the spirit of the General Secretary's reply by developing comprehensive plans for the two major areas of introduction and going out. It will utilise world-class educational resources and innovative elements effectively. It will also implement the fundamental task of establishing morality and cultivating people, adhere to the opening up of education to the outside world, adhere to the promotion of educational innovation, adhere to digital empowerment education, and serve students. Continue to develop and adhere to diversified teaching evaluation, with the goal of fostering the growth of a strong educational country and the development of new people for the times. Collaborate with the University of Kansas to jointly promote cultural exchange and cooperation between China and the United States. This will result in the establishment of the United Education Institute as a new landmark platform for cultural exchange between China and the United States. Furthermore, it will facilitate friendly exchanges between Chinese and American universities for students' further studies.
07 Enrollment plan and fees
In 2024, the institution plans to enroll 90 students (included in the national college enrollment plan, the specific subject to be studied is subject to the official announcement of the school). The selected subjects are not limited.
Tuition Fee: 63,000 yuan/student/academic year.
08 Consultation telephone
Contact: Mrs. He
Tel: 0579-82288790
Contact: Mr. Pu
Tel: 0579-82288295