(FORT BEND) – Texas State Technical College recently hosted a delegation of 21 Chinese educators from Nanjing, China for a tour of the campus and discussions about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) training and career opportunities.

TSTC Provost Randy Wooten said it was a pleasure being able to welcome the delegates on campus from Fort Bend County’s sister city Nanjing.

“It was great being given the opportunity to host these educators on campus,” he said. “The visit was focused on technological training and advancements and aligned well with what we offer at TSTC.”

The teachers were selected as part of a teacher exchange program through the Nanjing Education Bureau.

J.J. Clemence, Fort Bend County Global Initiative public relations director and Congressman Pete Olson’s Asian community outreach director, said each teacher was hand-picked from more than 1,000 schools in Nanjing and required to pass an English exam.

“These teachers are the top from each school,” Clemence said. “And the goal of this trip was to further expose them to STEM studies in the United States, which is why TSTC was an important stop for us.”

Clemence further explained that the teachers’ are visiting for 12-days touring local high schools in the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District and Fort Bend Independent School District and sharing resources and ideas with local educators.

“Technical careers are growing in demand in China and this visit has been eye opening to the delegates,” she said. “This has allowed them to see the importance of a technical education and hands-on training.”

Ning Nei, a high school chemistry teacher in Nanjing, said the TSTC campus and the focus on hands-on training was impressive.

“This college combines teaching with the practice of new technologies and that’s amazing to me,” she said. “It’s a perfect method that I hope to take back to my school and implement.”

Nei also said that she was able to exchange teaching resources with the faculty she visited, which will help her take what she learned back to her students.

TSTC’s Robotics Technology was popular among the delegates.

Guxiao Chun, a high school physics teacher, said he is excited to share his experience with his students when he returns home.

“TSTC is thinking innovatively and coming here has encouraged me to push my students into a technical career,” said Chun. “I’m excited to tell them about the robots and the hands-on training I witnessed.”

Chun added that he realized he can do more for his school and students by focusing on STEM.

Wooten said he was pleased with the positive responses received by the delegates and that these types of visit expand the TSTC brand internationally.

“They were impressed with the type of machinery and tools our students get to use in our labs,” said Wooten. “Opportunities like this are rare in China.”

He went on to say, “Positive responses like these make our brand more valuable and sought after. It gives us world-wide exposure.”

Clemence said she hopes to continue growing the relationship between these Chinese educators, Fort Bend County and TSTC.

“This was a great experience for everyone involved,” said Clemence. “And we hope in the near future we’ll be able bring students from China over to visit Fort Bend County and possibly study at TSTC.”

For more information on the programs offered at TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 begins April 2.