Many Shanghai universities want to become internationalized but have insufficient funding to hire full-time overseas teachers. Inviting overseas professors to teach short-term courses in China has become an alternative way to benefit both students and schools.

Last month, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics invited 37 foreign teachers from universities such as Harvard, Cambridge and the University of Minnesota to teach Chinese college students in the university's first summer international courses program. Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai University also invited foreign teachers to teach short-term classes this year.

"The summer course is an extension from curriculum courses, but these selected overseas teachers will share the latest industry topics and cutting-edge practices with our students to broaden their horizon," said Li Hong, head of the university's international exchange and cooperation center.

Li said every university wants to be international, but only about 26 percent of the current students can have the opportunity to study abroad via exchange or cooperation programs. To benefit more of the students staying in China, the university decided to offer the 37 summer international courses, which drew a total student attendance of 1,000. Each overseas teacher was paid 10,000 yuan (US$1,619) for the trip to China.

Students earn one credit for each course, which last a total of 12 hours each. They were limited in their choice of courses but could audit all of them.