Further cementing the relationship California State University, Northridge has with universities in China, Chinese government officials have awarded four CSUN alumni and students with scholarships to study in that country.

Recent English graduate Danielle Cabello, political science graduate Andrew Javidi, accounting and information systems major Alexander Renner and family and consumer science graduate Nina Rocklin have each received awards from the Chinese Government Scholarship Council that cover all costs of tuition and living expenses while they are abroad.

Justine Zhixin Su, director of CSUN’s China Institute, said the scholarships are a boon for U.S. and China relations.

“We are very proud of all our students who have gone to China to study,” said Justine Zhixin Su, director of CSUN’s China Institute. “All those who have already gone have told me what a life-changing experience it is and that they will treasure forever the friendships they have developed while overseas.

“That is the true purpose of our program,” Su said. “We want these young people to get a broader perspective on life and recognize the broad roles they can play in making contributions not just to American society, but to the international community as a whole.”

Cabello initially received an award from the Chinese Government Scholarship Council in 2009 after graduating from the English program at CSUN. She enjoyed her experience so much she remained in China for the last three years expanding her knowledge of Chinese and teaching English. She was accepted earlier this year into the graduate program at Qinghua University in Beijing, which is considered China’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Javidi, of Northridge, will be attending People’s University in Beijing, one of China’s top universities for studies and research in political science. It is commonly referred to as China’s “Yale.”

“I am extremely excited to be studying in Beijing,” Javidi said. “I’m, surprisingly, the first political science major from CSUN to win the China scholarship. It will be fascinating to study the Chinese side of international relations while abroad.”

Rocklin, of Woodland Hills, will be attending Donghua University, which is known in China for its fashion design program. It recently hosted the Shanghai International Fashion Design Show.

Renner, of Santa Monica, will be attending China’s leading finance and business colleges, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

Renner said he was honored to receive the scholarship, crediting the faculty in CSUN’s College of Business and Economics for his success. “My professors told me that failing wasn’t an option,” he said.

Renner plans to study Mandarin while at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

“I am doing this to prepare for a business world where the Chinese and U.S. are leaders,” he said. “It will take careful and tactful communication between both sides. Being able to communicate successfully in Chinese will allow the companies I work for to integrate seamlessly with their Chinese counterparts.”

Su noted that of the 21 American college students selected to receive the scholarships this year, four are from CSUN, “making us again the top university for receiving this award, which is equal in status and prestige to the Fulbright Student Awards in the U.S.”

California State University, Northridge established the China Institute in 1982. The institute aims to promote better understanding of the Chinese culture and to strengthen friendship between the American and Chinese people. During the past 30 years, it has played host to hundreds of Chinese scholars and has been influential in arranging dozens of education and cultural exchange programs between China and the United States. In addition to the awards from the Chinese Government Scholarship Council, the institute also works with sister campuses in China arranging to help other students attend universities in that country. For more information about the institute, visit its website: http://www.csun.edu/china_institute/ or e-mail Dr. Justine Su at zsu@csun.edu.

China, College of Business and Economics, College of Health and Human Development, College of Humanities, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Students