On a bright and beautiful day in late May 2016, 186 Chinese students
made history as they walked across the stage at the Wenzhou Grand
Theater in Wenzhou, China. Together, they form the first graduating class
of Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU), a unique educational partnership
between Kean University and Wenzhou University. The partnership
simultaneously provides Wenzhou students with a Western-style higher
education experience, and Kean students with a chance to gain a global
perspective through study in China.
The inaugural commencement ceremony was much like any college
graduation ceremony in the United States – complete with dignitaries,
speeches and diplomas. But behind the fanfare, the smiles of the
graduates, the pride of their parents who filled the theater, and the
ubiquitous selfies and photographs that captured every moment, is the
underlying story of vision, hard work, and commitment that led to such an
historic milestone; paving the way for continued growth of the University.
“We celebrate our success because you, our students, had faith in WKU
and were willing to make an investment in a new idea,” Kean President Dr.
Dawood Farahi told the graduates.
What began as a cohort of 205 students from the Zhejiang Province four
years ago, is now a full-scale University, with more than 1,500 students.
Recruitment has expanded to nine additional Chinese provinces, Hong
Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. By 2020, enrollment is projected to more
than double in size at 3,500 attending students. Marketing, Global
Business and Graphic Design programs have already been added to
WKU’s original four majors – Accounting, Finance, English Education and
Computer Science – with more programs still on the way.
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KEANmag
Wenzhou-Kean University’s
inaugural cohort is now its
first graduating class.
Wenzhou-Kean
First Class
