Wenzhou-Kean University produces new graduating class

A total of 213 young people celebrate their graduation on June 3 at Wenzhou-Kean University, set up by New Jersey-based Kean University and Wenzhou University in 2014.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The graduation ceremony could not have looked more American: a grand wood-paneled theater, beaming students in caps and gowns, a valedictorian speech and even dancers in leotards.

But the event was not taking place in the United States. It was happening in Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province.

The 213 young people who received their degrees on June 3 graduated from Wenzhou-Kean University, a school set up by New Jersey-based Kean University in partnership with Wenzhou University in 2014.

WKU is part of a growing trend of foreign universities setting up branches in China.

By January, there were 37 foreign university campuses on the Chinese mainland, according to the US-based Cross-Border Education Research Team, a 42 percent increase since 2014.

The students at WKU followed exactly the same curricula as their peers on the East Coast, but most have never set foot in the US. They received their US-style education entirely in China.

Gaining an international education without leaving the country has become an attractive option for many Chinese students.

The tuition fees are 45,000 yuan ($6,621) a year, almost one-third of what students would pay at Kean's main campus in the US.

But the students get an authentic US-style experience. All classes in Wenzhou are conducted in English, the majority led by more than 100 foreign teachers.

The school also follows the US system in prioritizing the students' personal development as well as their test scores.

"We encourage students to do interactive learning in the classroom instead of passive learning, and we want them to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, great presenters and researchers," says Holger Henke, the vice-chancellor for academic affairs at WKU.