Teaching Chinese Students: Understanding Their Public Sector Paradigm

Abstract

Teaching Chinese students in an American university can be both challenging and rewarding. Cultural and language differences can lead to some superficial confusion and interpretational problems. However, the vast differences in the ways Chinese students view the role of the public sector, as compared to the US, can mean that the instructors and students are looking at the same concepts from vastly different perspectives. Expectations regarding the role of government and the structure of authoritative organizations are so dissimilar as to prevent a commonality on which to base communication. The Chinese view and practice of public administration vary greatly from that of the United States. In China, centralized management and policy-making are the rule, where in the US, the separation of power and administration exist endemically. Because of these differences, one could posit that Chinese students, participating in a Masters of Public Administration program in the US, should come away with unique views of public management in the United States as well as how similar practices compare in China. A survey recently completed by the Department of Public Management at the University of New Haven found that often Chinese students come away from the MPA experience with confusion about, concerns for the need or efficiency of a decentralized government and still believe a highly centralized government is the best model. Reconciling these beliefs with the fundamentals of the discipline of Public Administration, as practiced in the United States, presents some serious challenges to instructors.

The University of New Haven, Master of Public Administration program, has hosted a number of Chinese students over the past few years. At the completion of their time at UNH, students completed an essay discussing what they had learned from their courses and practical experiences in the program. This paper is a review of those responses and their implications for how Chinese students view US public administration. The authors also discuss possible explanations for the very different views on the role of the public sector and the possible ramifications for future public servants in China.