Mei Zhong
San Diego State University, United States
Mei Zhong (Ph.D.), is associate professor in the School of Journalism and Media Studies, San Diego State University. She also serves as Head of the International Studies Minor in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. Dr. Zhong’s research and teaching interests are in international studies, media and culture, and intercultural communication. Zhong has been involved in international education efforts at SDSU for over two decades, including setting up education exchange programs between SDSU and international universities, leading multiple faculty-led programs, advising students in the International Studies Minor, collaborating with the International Student Center on campus, as well as working with the office of International Affairs to promote COIL programs among SDSU faculty. She is currently the faculty director of COIL methodology at SDSU.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, using COIL allowed us to keep the integrity of the International Stuides program. It even allowed some DACA students to participate and graduate with the minor!”
Project Information
Partner Institutions:
Dr. Gabriel Cabezas, DUOC UC, Compression, Chile, spring 2021-spring 2022, fall 2024;
Dr. Joanie Willett, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, U.K., Spring – fall 2021;
Dr. Abraham Navarro Garcia, UABC, Tijuana, Mexico, Fall 2022-fall 2024.
Project Summary: The COIL component in this course allows students in both courses in each country to work in teams on a selected cross-cultural topic. Students are able to collaborate on a literature review on the topic, collect data by interviewing each other, and draw cross-cultural comparisons between the U.S. and other cultures. Students meet through a set of synchronous and asynchronous meetings to work on the project and present their findings to the combined class in the end.