Chinese students pursuing Keuka degrees at the College’s four partner universities in China will assist with relief efforts in central China, where the recent earthquake has claimed more than 40,000 lives and left some 5 million homeless.

“Michael Hwang, our director of all Keuka operations in China, has made this possible with a generous donation of approximately 500,000 RMB ($70,500 US) to the four universities in China that offer Keuka College degrees,” said College President Joseph G. Burke.

“We received letters from Dr. Burke [Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs] Ginny Coombs, students, trustees, and even the community expressing their love and concerns,” said Hwang. “I shared these with our partners—five colleges in four universities—and they showed their great appreciation for the friendship they have with Keuka. That is why I decided to make a donation.”

Hwang said the Keuka students in China are anxious to get involved in the relief efforts.

“We encouraged the students to do whatever they can to help the sufferers,” said Hwang, who said the students will also reap benefits. “They will be learning by doing; practicing the philosophy of experiential education.”

KeukaCollege is the national leader in experiential, hands-on learning and the College has introduced Field Period, a required internship program and the heart and soul of the College’s commitment to experiential learning, into its China program as well.

“The Chinese are enamored with the concept of Field Period,” said Burke, “and I am impressed that our students in China are following in the footsteps of our students here in Keuka Park by assisting their fellow countrymen in a time of crisis.”

Responding to a call from the Red Cross and their nation, a group of Keuka College students elected to use their January 2002 Field Periods in the service of others, traveling to New York City to help with post 9/11 recovery efforts.

Then, in December 2005 and January 2006, some 50 students conducted Field Periods with the Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, La. and Biloxi, Miss.

Keuka College boasts the largest enrollment of any American college or university operating in China. Some 4,700 Chinese students are pursing management degrees at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, JimeiUniversity, WenzhouUniversity.

None of those campuses was impacted by the earthquake.