REP. PELOWSKI WELCOMES CHINESE DELEGATION TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Higher Education financing focus of trip

State Representative Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona) welcomed a delegation
from the People's Republic of China to the Capitol last week. Pelowski,
who is the lead Democrat on the Higher Education Finance Committee, and
two other members of the committee engaged in a discussion with the
delegation regarding higher education, most notably the differences in
funding between China and Minnesota.
According to Pelowski, the Chinese government funds its higher
education system with a formula that was once used in Minnesota, with
the student paying 1/3 of the cost and the government picking up the
remaining 2/3rds.
"Unfortunately, our state abandoned this system because of fiscal
problems," said Pelowski. "I am hopeful the example set by the Chinese
government will promote a return to this formula in Minnesota."
Following the visit, Pelowski sent the delegation a picture of a
painting of one of the Terra Cotta Tomb Warriors from the tomb of
China's First Emperor Chin, done by Valerie Schoen, a student in his
Challenge World History Course at Winona Senior High School.
"Sun Xiaobin, the Program Officer for China's Ministry of Education,
was gracious enough to allow an exchange of information from his office
on the Tomb of China's First Emperor with my students," said Pelowski.
"He was very interested in seeing Valerie's reproduction of a Terra
Cotta warrior."
Pelowski said he was impressed with the commitment to higher education
expressed by the delegation.
"The Presidents, Vice Presidents, Professors and Administrators from
China made a lasting impression on me regarding the importance of higher
education," said Pelowski. "We need to follow their example and
re-commit our efforts as a state to adequately fund higher education,
with an emphasis on lowering tuition and reducing student debt."

Sandy Connolly
House DFL Media