The Tripod

Last semester, Xiangming Chen was named Dean and Director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies, as well as the Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Sociology and International Studies.

Earlier this year the College launched an initiative to connect its renowned community learning and engagement tradition with its distinguished global programs by creating the Center for Urban and Global Studies. On Friday, Oct. 19 the official dedication of the center will take place in the Washington Room, with many speeches and events to follow.

The general mission of the College's initiative is to create a learning environment that is better connected to the greater Hartford area and global cities, while simultaneously bringing this academic knowledge and practical experience back to Trinity to catalyze intellectual growth and leadership development on campus.

Dr. Chen first became involved in the study of local and global relations as a Duke University graduate student. He wrote his dissertation on Shenzhen, a city in southern China that was rising as an important economic zone, and more specifically on the city's growth and the consequences for the local communities owing to the influence of Hong Kong.

He also published a book, As Borders Bend: Transnational Spaces in the Pacific Rim, in 2000 about his experience with comparative growth of cities, such as the differences in the development of coastal cities in comparison to other dynamic Asian cities in neighboring countries.

After working in Shanghai, publishing another book, and working and teaching in Chicago, Dr. Chen now works out of 70 Vernon Street in his new position as Dean.

When asked why he accepted his current position at Trinity, he responded, "I was at a point in my career [when] I felt I wanted to do something more challenging, something new to help develop and build something that would allow me to draw from my extensive research of cities and communities from a comparative perspective both U.S. and non-U.S., primarily Asia, so I decided to take on this challenge."

In terms of the goals of the program, Dr. Chen intends to take advantage of Trinity's urban location and global research through the center to help develop. He plans to strengthen the synergistic connections of teaching, research, and service in urban and global studies in academic programs and learning on campus, in the greater Hartford area, and around the world. This objective will be achieved through the introduction of urban courses and content into the curriculum at the College. Furthermore, internship opportunities will be geared more towards Hartford and to comparative global cities. "Internships are a critical component of Hartford-based programs," he said. "We would like to extend Greater Hartford based internships to our global programs. Work experience along with study and courses promote and stimulate more interest among our students to think of urban and global in integrated, coupled terms."

Initially the center will look to build upon Trinity's present foundation, consisting of the Community Learning Initiative, the Cities Program, and the Hartford Studies Project. In addition, Dr. Chen hopes to create an educational process beginning freshman year that includes a focus on urban and global relations.

Freshmen and sophomores will take courses with urban content that extend into Hartford cities and communities. As juniors, students will travel around the globe using their urban knowledge to connect on a global level to the area in which they are located.

Their final year at Trinity, students will bring their global experience back with them in order to better connect with Hartford and to strengthen the developing program. Trinity's mission for the program states its purpose as to develop an integrated urban global objective of combining both teaching and curricular development involving students with local urban issues in Hartford and comparative global issues. Chen says that he wants "to see the center play a key role in leading a broader-based effort across the campus to advance that mission of Trinity." He encourages the Trinity community to attend and learn about the center, which will impact the educational experience of everyone here at the College.

Article Tools