Coverage of the Olympic Games in Beijing this past summer showed America and the world that China is poised for even more marketing growth in the decades ahead.

That means more opportunities in commerce for East and West, which, in turn, means the need for a U.S. work force here and there thats proficient in Chinese language and culture.

West Virginia Universitys Department of Foreign Languages began offering both a major and minor in Chinese studies this fall to capitalize on that marketing potential in a practical and personal way.

It is important to understand Chinas importance in the global marketplace and to world culture,said Mary Ellen Mazey, dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the home of the foreign languages department.Our Chinese Studies Program complements initiatives already in place in the colleges of Business and Economics and Creative Arts, and the Office of International Programs.

Chinese studies at WVU is an interdisciplinary program with a goal of providing students with strong knowledge of Mandarin Chinese and a solid background in history, literature, political science, religion and philosophy.

Language courses use modern technology to help the students learn the language skills they need in the 21st century.

WVU has already received recognition and support of its Chinese Studies Program from the government of China. You Shaozhong, minister counselor for the education office of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China, visited WVU last spring as part of the Universitys Cultural Attachés Program.

Impressed with WVU s program and its existing partnerships with China, the embassy agreed to offer a unique, all-expense paid, language immersion scholarship to a WVU student.

Sean Pompa, a finance and political science dual major from Hurricane, is currently studying at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. Hell remain there until July 2009 courtesy of the Chinese government.

Pompa, who is interested in emerging markets, commercial lending and financial consulting, credits his ability to undertake this intensive program to the teaching technique of Hannah Lin, WVU s Johnson Clinical Professor and coordinator of Chinese studies.

With Chinas tremendous economic growth and its emergent political power,Lin said,the task of increasing the number of American students who can demonstrate a functional proficiency in Chinese and a general understanding of Chinese culture is undeniably urgent. We are grateful to the Chinese Embassy.

Pompa was already talking the talk before he got there, he said.

We do a tremendous amount of pronunciation work, and we have a quiz every day,he said.That gives you more confidence as a speaker. The scholarship I received is usually given to a faculty member or graduate student. I think it says a lot about the quality of the program here that they gave the scholarship to an undergraduate.

All students in the program are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs to further refine and improve their language skills. This past summer, more than 20 students participated in the Chinese studies faculty-led study abroad programs.

Three other students are also attending Zhejiang University this fall as Johnson Scholars for a semester-long, language immersion program: Joel Ferris of Bluefield; Christopher Belfoure of Ivoryton, Conn.; and Michael Criste of Point Pleasant.

The Chinese Studies Program is supported by a $2 million endowment from the estate of J. Vance and Florence Highland Johnson. The couples gift was made through the WVU Foundation, a private nonprofit corporation that generates and provides support for WVU .

For more information, contact Lin at huey.lin@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-5121 ext. 5525.