- The Fulbright Scholar program was founded in 1946 by U.S Senator J. William Fulbright, who believed that reaching out to other countries provided learning opportunities that could build bridges of cultural understanding and awareness. This came as a reaction to a divided world after the end of World War II. Fulbright hoped to promote peace through mutual understanding of cultural differences.
- The Fulbright Scholar award is an international exchange program for students, teachers, scholars and professionals to travel to different parts of the world to gain international experience and share knowledge of fields from around the world. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and benefits approximately 8000 recipients in 155 countries each year. To learn more about the Fulbright program visit www.cies.org
Dr. Baohua Wang, Salt Lake Community College’s first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, visits from China on a semester-long grant program to advance his research and promote cross-cultural awareness.
Dr. Wang (pronounced wong) is a teacher of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Chinese Capital Medical University in Beijing. He specializes in the theory and application of acupuncture, among other Chinese medicine practices.
“Coming here is actually a chance — an opportunity — a quite precious opportunity for me,” says Dr. Wang. “I thought it would be a very good chance to see what is here and experience what the different culture is like. I really love the Chinese medicine. I think it is a really good thing and I hope I can do some benefit for the American friends here.”
Dr. Wang will give lectures on his research in the field of medicine and will work with SLCC’s School of Health Sciences to share his knowledge on the differences between Eastern and Western medicine.
First Fulbright Scholar
Not only is this SLCC’s first Fulbright scholar, it is also the first time Dr. Wang has been outside of China.
His specialty has to do primarily with the Classical Theory of Acupuncture.
“The Fulbright program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.” –Senator J. William Fulbright
Dr. Wang has a deep passion for helping people. He was first introduced to Chinese Medicine by his grandfather who practiced medicine, and began practicing himself in 1996.
The main difference he sees between Eastern and Western Medicine is that Western medicine views the body in parts whereas Chinese medicine views the body as a whole that cannot be divided.
Using a toothache as an example, he explained how Western doctors look at the tooth itself as the problem but, he explained, a Chinese doctor would look at the stomach and kidney to find a deficiency in the kidney as the cause of the toothache. The toothache, according to Dr. Wang, is only a symptom of the problem.
Students and faculty can expect to hear this kind of alternative approach to medicine in Wang’s lectures.
“Looking at other medical practices around the world”
“Last fall 2010, the Academic Affairs Division was having conversations regarding enhancing international education and internationalizing the campus,” wrote Dean Loredana Haeger, Ph.D. of SLCC’s School of Health Sciences on how they decided to bring a Fulbright scholar here.
“In addition, several faculty within the School of Health Sciences were very interested in developing elective courses that would focus on Eastern vs. Western Medicine, as well as looking at other medical/nursing practices around the world.”
There is a new trend in the health industry to broaden the horizons of medical practitioners to include alternative therapies. The School of Health Sciences at SLCC is hoping to develop a course in Eastern vs. Western medicine practices.
Professor Ken Freeman, a faculty member in the Physical Therapist Assistant program, has been working with Dr. Wang to develop a course that takes advantage of his knowledge of Chinese Traditional Medicine.
“Important opportunity”
Dr. Wang wrote a book primarily for the Chinese people called “To Learn Chinese Medicine from Zero,” which is a beginner’s guide to learning and understanding the basics of the practice. He hopes to one day have it translated to English to benefit the field of Western medicine.
He has found that many of the Chinese people have forgone Eastern practices in favor of Western traditions of surgery for pain management. The reason he sees this happening is for the business of making money.
“The first thing is my duty [of providing a] series of lectures and presentations for the college,” says Dr. Wang as to what he hopes to accomplish with his time here. “This is an important opportunity for me to introduce the Chinese medicine to the friends here and then I will try to learn the system here and how they teach the students here.”
Dr. Wang will be giving a lecture to faculty, staff and students on March 27 at the South City Campus. Additional speaking engagements and lectures by Wang are being scheduled and should be posted on the SLCC website and The Globe calendar of events.
