Wednesday, May 15, 2002

A U. of Michigan Program in China Fails to Draw Students, and Its Price Is Blamed By JEN LIN-LIU Before the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor established a master's-degree program via distance education in China this spring, the university made a considerable effort to ensure the program's success. The university worked out a partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which is assisting by providing facilities and teaching. A Michigan professor was sent to several multinational companies in China to pitch the benefits of sending employees to the program. And a New York public-relations firm was called in to drum up media attention. But when the program began, in March, a total of two students had enrolled -- and they had only been signed on as a favor, according to the dean of Jiao Tong's School of Mechanical Engineering. Administrators had anticipated a first-year class of at least 20. So why has the program failed to attract students? Its administrators seem to know the answer. "The tuition is just too much," says Lin Zhongqin, the dean of Jiao Tong's School of Mechanical Engineering. "Because of the cost, it's very hard to market this program." Mr. Lin says of the two students who did enroll: "They were signed on by a friend at a multinational company so I could save face." The Michigan engineering program illustrates the pitfalls of starting academic programs in China without carefully considering how much corporations and students are willing to pay, says Debasish Dutta, the mechanical-engineering professor at Michigan who was sent to sell the program to corporations in China. The three-year program in manufacturing engineering costs $30,000, and 40 percent of the courses are delivered via distance education. By comparison, the average tuition for a master's program in engineering in China is less than $2,000 for an entire program, and many students are on full scholarships, says Mr. Lin. Although the administrators in China argued that the tuition should be lowered, officials back in Ann Arbor refused. "It was like a brick wall," says Mr. Dutta. Says Mr. Lin, the Jiao Tong dean: "We understand business concepts better than our American counterparts." Some American universities -- like the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which offers a master's degree in computer science in Delhi, India -- have reduced tuition rates for students in developing countries. Mr. Dutta still defends the basic concept of the engineering program. The idea, he says, was that multinational companies in China would be willing to pay to train local employees rather than bringing in expatriates, who demand more pay and perks. He went to the Shanghai headquarters of companies like Whirlpool, General Motors, and Delphi to explain the proposal. Companies seemed interested -- but, apparently, not interested enough to pay $30,000 per employee, says Mr. Dutta. Multinational companies are beginning to see the benefits of training local employees, says Michael Ho, the managing director of Konecranes Shanghai Company Ltd., a subsidiary of KCI Konecranes Group, a Finnish manufacturer of heavy cranes and hoists. "We try to localize as much as we can. That has always been in our policy -- to train locals. We encourage programs that are suitable." Mr. Ho declined to comment specifically on whether he would be willing to send employees to the Michigan-Jiao Tong program. The Michigan-Jiao Tong program does have benefits that a regular Chinese education doesn't offer: Students who graduate get a diploma from the University of Michigan, and several Michigan professors are being sent to Shanghai to teach courses. "We wanted to make sure there would be enough faculty-student interaction," says Dutta. In the distance-learning component of the program, students watch videotaped lectures that are downloaded from the Internet, and communicate with professors through e-mail and real-time videoconferencing. But some students say that they don't think the Michigan-Jiao Tong program is worthwhile because they wouldn't want an overseas diploma without going overseas. "We want to go to America for university because we want the experience of going overseas -- that's as important as the diploma," says Huang Renfei, a first-year master's student enrolled in Jiao Tong's regular engineering program. She adds that she spends less than $100 per year on food and housing, and that her tuition is paid for with a scholarship. The University of Michigan still hopes that the program will grow, despite the initial lack of success. The university began a similar distance-education master's program in engineering in the United States a few years ago, using distance learning to reach students who are also working at full-time jobs at corporations. That program began with six students and now has 78 enrolled, says Mr. Dutta. As for the China program, Mr. Dutta says, "Time will tell if tuition makes this sustainable." Background articles from The Chronicle: Chinese Universities and Overseas Institutions Work Together on Distance Programs (5/17/2002) U. of Michigan to Offer Master's Degree in China via Distance Education (10/22/2001) Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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