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Charles Townley with his master's-level Information
Management class at Beijing Normal University
The Imperial Library in Changsha
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The Fulbright Scholar Program sent an expert in information management
and higher education administration to China in 1999-2000 to lecture
at the Beijing Normal University. Former Dean of the New Mexico
State University Library (NMSU) Charles Townley has an extensive
background in academic administration, including planning and
budgeting; library service; organizational development; and information
technology. His experience in these areas, combined with a history
of investigating and respecting cultural differences, have made
his Fulbright experience an inspiring one.
The scholar has nearly 30 years of experience in the field of
information management and academic administration that he willingly
shared with Chinese students in multiple disciplines. At Beijing,
Townley taught graduate-level courses that focused on comparative
aspects of international higher education and information management.
The scholar, who is returning to teaching full time after nine
years as dean, found his Fulbright assignment valuable not only
to his students but also to himself. In preparation for his professorial
role at NMSU, he found it useful to probe such issues as teaching
styles, information seeking behavior, academic mentoring, service,
publication and academic freedom. Townley remarked, "The Fulbright
experience is a great way of testing full-time teaching with both
feet. New job, new subjects, different culture."
Supported by NMSU's longtime commitment to educational exchange,
Townley is working to establish permanent links between his home
and host institution in the form of faculty and student exchanges,
training and recruitment.
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