Historically Black Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, has entered into partnership agreements with nine universities in China. The partnerships call for academic and cultural exchanges between Fisk and the Chinese universities. The agreements will result in the establishment of dual degree programs where students from both countries will study at Fisk and a Chinese university to complete their degrees.
Among the partnering institutions are the Jilin University of Foreign Languages, the Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, and the Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
The agreements were signed by Fisk University provost and vice president of academic affairs Rodney S. Hanley, who toured China with Tennessee government officials looking to expand trade opportunities with China. “We understand the importance of global education and the university remains deeply committed to its tradition of fostering strong global leaders,” Dr. Hanley said.
If Fisk University truly aspire to be a first class university, I would highly suggest that it expend more time and energy in actively recruiting, retaining, and intellectual nurturing “native born Black” students as compared to “everybody else”. For those who disagree with my comments, I was recently on Fisk University’s campus interacting with native born Black students and they voiced similar concerns. Yet, Fisk University administrators need to fully understand the rationale and intent why the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is so easily to partner with HBCUs in order to have easier access to the United States under the guise of an educational platform.
Further, Fisk University administrators need to explain why their institution don’t offer an African languages (by the French is not an African language, but, a colonial language) as compared to Mandarin Chinese (i.e., once this MOU is implemented and operational). On another note, I was really surprised to see that Fisk University is providing more opportunities (i.e., employment and academic) for “everybody else” as compared to native born Blacks.