KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 16, 2022

Nearly 300 people gathered in the Bailey Performing Arts Center in early November for East Meets West, a Chinese cultural exchange performance between faculty and students in the KSU School of Music and singers from Yangzhou University’s College of Music.

The KSU Jazz Ensemble I led by Conductor Sam Skelton opened the show with an exciting rendition of Pat Methemy’s Minuano. Following their introductory act, the singers took to the stage performing a variety of pieces that perfectly blended together Eastern and Western folk and classical sounds. The KSU Chamber Singers rounded out the concert with their rendition of Dui Dui Deng, a Chinese Folk Song.

The audience made up of a majority of KSU students watched as two very different cultures were brought together through the common language of music demonstrating the ability to find a common bond between people.

KSU hopes to strengthen the common bond with their partner Yangzhou University through future collaborations and exchange that will lead to a stronger cross-cultural awareness between KSU students and Yangzhou University students alike. A delegation from Yangzhou University including the vice president of the university and the dean of the College of Overseas Education, joined the group of vocal performers on their visit to KSU to discuss future collaborations.

Vice President Chen Guohong and Dean Lily G. Young met with a number of KSU leaders while they were here including Acting Provost Ron Matson, Vice Provost of Global Affairs and Chief International Officer Lance Askildson, Executive Director of Global Education Binbin Jiang, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Kerwin Swint, Associate Dean of CHSS Thierry Leger, as well as representatives from the graduate college and foreign language department. The meetings garnered plans for future student and faculty exchange and education abroad programs as well as a number of other collaborative exchange projects.

“We hope to have more faculty and student exchanges so that we can bring Chinese culture to KSU campus and KSU students can bring American culture and performing arts to Yangzhou University campus,” Vice President Guohong said. “Through studying at KSU, we hope to expand and grow our own programs.”

Director of the School of Music Stephen Plate explained that the School of Music has a desire of globalization for the sake of KSU students so that they may have an international experience.

“We want to share talent, concepts and ideas to develop a greater bridge between Kennesaw State University College of the Arts and Yangzhou University,” he said.

While these types of interactions are helpful in strengthening the academic relationship between the two institutions, Plate says that there is another important benefit that students can gain.

“It is human nature to distrust things that you don’t know or understand. These kind of interactions and collaborations break down the barriers between peoples and help us come to the common human experience and share an artform that is universal in its scope,” he said.

Through interactions like the East Meets West performance there is a certain degree of respect and curiosity that is satisfied Plate says which in turn helps to make the world a smaller more accessible place.

Watch Video of Performance

For more information on KSU exchange and education abroad programs:

Education Abroad

-Anna Barnes