According to most statistics, Chinese, specifically Mandarin, is the most widely spoken language in the world. To ensure that Spelman women have the tools needed to interact within this social and professional network, the College will launch its new Chinese language and culture courses this fall. Part of the interdisciplinary curriculum established by the Lehman Brothers Center for Global Finance and Economic Development at Spelman College, the courses will fall under the department of world languages and literature.

Based on its sustained and rapid economic growth, leading economists predict that China will become the world’s largest economy by 2035. The U.S. Department of State has designated Chinese a critical language, and in 2005, legislation was introduced to provide federal funds for Chinese language and culture programs.

“Asia, in particular China, has experienced tremendous cultural and economic growth in the 21st century, and it’s important that our curriculum reflects this paradigm shift,” said Johnnella Butler, Ed.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs. “This new language offering will not only prepare Spelman women to compete in the global arena, but enhance their understanding of Chinese culture.”

Designed to help students achieve functional proficiency, the new Chinese language and culture courses will be taught by Zhengbin (Richard) Lu Ed.D., a native speaker of Mandarin. Lu’s career includes a stint at Qingdao University in China, where he taught English courses as well as time at a consulting firm in Shanghai where he taught Chinese to English-speaking corporate executives. He is currently working on a case study that examines how Web-based communications can be used to enhance interactions with Chinese language and culture.

The program will include three courses. Elementary Chinese I, the first in the series, will serve as an introduction to Mandarin Chinese. It will help students with no Chinese-speaking background develop basic language skills and introduce them to Chinese culture. China and the West will be taught in English and examine Chinese interactions with major Western countries from ancient times to the present. Understanding Modern China, also taught in English, will explore the social, cultural, and economic transformation of modern China.

“The establishment of the Lehman Brothers Center and the Chinese language offering is a very foresighted endeavor that will provide great opportunities for the College, especially for our students,” said Dr. Lu. “I am proud to have been chosen to help launch this exciting new program.”

About Lehman Brothers Center for Global Finance and Economic Development
In 2007, Lehman Brothers and Spelman College established a groundbreaking corporate-academic partnership. As part of this endeavor, the global investment bank committed $10 million for the development of the Lehman Brothers Center for Global Finance and Economic Development at Spelman College, and an interdisciplinary curriculum and courses. The program is designed to prepare Spelman women for active participation in the global marketplace and increase the pipeline of women ready to enter the financial sector.

About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts a 78 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 12:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.