Fulbright Scholar Expands BCC's Cultural Experiences

Through the end of the school year, Bergen Community College students are gaining not only an education but also an expanded cultural experience as the college recently welcomed Dr. Gang Zhou of China as a Fulbright Scholar in Residence.

Zhou joined the BCC faculty over the summer and teaches English in the American Language Program at the College and Intercultural Communication in the Communication Department of the School of Arts, Humanities and Wellness. He also will present four to five lectures this spring for the College’s Lois E. Marshall Institute for Learning in Retirement. 

“The faculty at Bergen have been extremely helpful and made me feel at home,” said Zhou. “I also have been invited to serve as a guest speaker at local high schools in Bergen County, where students are studying Chinese.”

As part of the Fulbright Scholar Program, Zhou was invited to teach at BCC as a way to expand the Colleges’ international programs and diversify the educational experiences of students, faculty and the surrounding community. 

“With students representing more than 100 countries throughout the world, the College believed that Dr. Zhou’s strong background in intercultural communication and second language acquisition would be an enormous asset to our students and the local community,” said Amparo Codding, Dean, School of Arts, Humanities and Wellness. 

Halfway through his year in Residence, Zhou has already observed vast differences between his students in China and the U.S.

“Students in China do not raise questions during class or challenge the teacher’s authority,” Zhou said. “However, students in the U.S. primarily learn through questioning and critical thinking. Students at Bergen also are involved with many extracurricular activities, whereas students in China mainly focus on their coursework.”

He added that his experiences have shown him how a more student-centered teaching approach can be beneficial to Chinese students.

“This type of teaching approach is beneficial to future teaching development in China,” Zhou said.

After the end of the spring semester Zhou, who has been staying in Fair Lawn, will travel through the country before returning to China and his graduate and undergraduate students.

“There is a lot more traffic and I also live close to the train tracks but I’m enjoying my experience so much at Bergen Community College that I hope to return in two years when I’m eligible to participate in the Fulbright Scholar Program again.” 

Zhou holds advanced degrees from the Centre for Language and Communication Research, Cardiff University, Wales, and Nanyang University of Technology, Singapore. He also has written numerous articles and books.