2008 News
November
October
- China Center hosts visitors from Capital University of Economics and Trade
Vice president Dr. Yang Shizhong and two professors from Capital University of Economics and Trade, Beijing visited the China Center on October 8. In 2004, Dr. Yang participated in a Mingda Institute of Leadership Training program for top university administrators from over twenty institutions in Beijing, so he was very pleased to have the opportunity to return for a visit. China Center director Yongwei Zhang and Mingda Institute leader Zhou Yuedong met with Dr. Yang to discuss future collaboration plans between the two universities.
September
- CCAC Holds Fall Meeting (pic)
The China Center Advisory Council (CCAC) met on September 26 in the new University International Center. New members Michael Houston, Fred Morrison, Robert Morrison, and Michael Schumann were welcomed by current members. China Center staff gave updates on work accomplished since the last meeting and plans for the upcoming months. CCAC members provided input and advice as well as proposed new ideas. More information can be found on the CCAC page.
- Mingda Institute for Leadership Training hosts Executive MBA group from Guangong
The Minda Institute for Leadership Training hosted a business training delegation from China Sun Yat-Sen University School of Business from September 22 to 27. The group included 70 Chinese CEOs, General Managers and Senior Management Officers from Guangdong Province, the richest province with the highest total GDP among all provinces in China.
The group attended lectures by University faculty on business management. They also had the opportunity to visit local companies in the fields of manufacturing, technology, finance, law, and real estate.
- Beijing Higher Education and Academic English Traning Group Arrives on Campus (pic)
A group of 24 young professors from 17 well-known universities in Beijing started a four-month-long program on higher education and academic English. This program is the result of long-term cooperation between the Mingda Institute for Leadership Training and the Beijing Higher Education Teachers Training Center under Beijing Municipal Government. While here, the professors will improve their English proficiency, learn advanced teaching methodology, better understand the American higher education system, and experience American culture. One example of this is a recent typical Minnesotan barbeque hosted by Mr. Will Ahern and his family.
- Confucius Institute Opens!
The long-awaited opening of the Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota occurred on September 19. The opening of a Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota is the result of nearly two years of discussion. China Center director Yongwei Zhang, worked closely with the Hanban to finalize the contract. The grand opening was a tremendous celebration of the work that went into its establishment. More information can be found on the Confucius Institute web site.
- Zhang Gives Talk on Education in China
China Center director Yongwei Zhang was one of the featured speakers at a Moon Festival event sponsored by the Minnesota Chapter of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association (USCPFA) at Hamline University. Zhang talked about the changes and development of higher education in China in the last thirty years.
This event—a celebration of the traditional Chinese mid-Autumn festival—was cosponsored by the Midwest Region of USCPFA, East Asian Studies at Hamline University, and the East Asian Library of the University of Minnesota.
- Chairman of the University Council at Renmin University visits the University of Minnesota (pic)(pic)
The ongoing collaboration talks between Renmin University and the University of Minnesota Law School continued on September 12 when professor Cheng Tianquan, Chairman of the University Council at Renmin University, visited. President Bruininks met professor Cheng and other visitors and thanked them for their interest in the University of Minnesota. He was pleased to learn that the Law School will offer programs in Beijing beginning next year on the campus of Renmin University.
- Visit from Communications University of China
(pic)(pic)
A group of three visitors from the Communications University of China (CUC) in Beijing visited the University of Minnesota on September 11. The group toured the state-of-the-art facilities within School of Journalism and Mass Communication and met with the school’s director of undergraduate studies, Dan Wackman, and director of graduate studies, Brian Southwell. The group also met with China Center staff to discuss possibilities for future collaboration between the two universities. Prof. Liu Liqun, assistant to the President at CUC, said she and her colleagues were very impressed by the programs and facilities in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. This visit was a follow-up to the visit China Center director Yongwei Zhang made to CUC in June.
- China Center Hosts Delegation from Taiwan (pic)(pic)(pic)
On September 4, the China Center hosted a delegation of 25 people from Taiwan led by Chiang Pin-kung, vice chairman of KMT (the Chinese Nationalist Party, Taiwan), Chairman of SEF (Strait Exchange Foundation, Taiwan-based) and, former vice-chairman of the Taiwan Legislative Yuan (Congress). The delegation was accompanied by Jason C. Yuan, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO).
They met with University President Bruininks, vice president and dean of International Programs Meredith McQuaid, and dean of the Humphrey Institute Brian Atwood. McQuaid and China Center staff also joined the group for a luncheon hosted by Representative Jason C. Yuan. Chiang Pin-kung is an instrumental figure in the peacemaking between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and is highly respected by the Government in Beijing. The group also included an eight-member news crew and Taiwan legislators from both Parties (KMT and DPP). They were in Minnesota to attend the GOP’s national convention.
August
- Curiosity Camp Destination:China (pic)(pic)(pic)
Destination:China, was one of the twenty Curiosity Camps held on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus this summer through the College of Continuing Education. Co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota, Destination: China was held in the University International Center on August 13. China Center director Yongwei Zhang and Confucius Institute acting director Joan Brzezinski each gave a talk to an audience of approximately 20 camp participants.
- CUMT Higher Education Management and Academic Teaching Training Group Graduates (pic)
A graduation ceremony for the CUMT training group was held on August 5 at the University International Center. Acting on behalf of the associate vice president and dean of the Office of International Programs, acting associate director Mark Schneider handed out completion certificates to all 33 lectures and professors who took part in the month long training program. Dr. Yongwei Zhang gave a farewell speech. He encouraged each member of the group to stay connected with the University of Minnesota and keep us informed of their progress in teaching and research
- Summer Camp for College Students from Sichuan (pic)(pic)
A group of nine Chinese college students arrived on August 4 for a week-long stay at the University of Minnesota. The China Center has made arrangements for them to see the campus and attend lectures on subjects related to college study and university life in the United States. These young people are from several universities in Sichuan province and they are very excited to have this opportunity.
- First Group Students Recruited by China Center Arrive on Campus (pic)
The signs of success for the China Center’s undergraduate recruitment efforts are appearing on campus! Sixteen students who graduated from Northeast Normal University High School in Changchun, Jilin Province have arrived on campus to settle-in before the upcoming semester. They will be in the freshmen class beginning this fall. They will be followed by a dozen of students from two other Chinese high schools: Wenzhou School and Hunan Normal University High School.
- Building Collaborative Relationships with U of M Coordinate Campuses to Help Facilitate their China Initiatives (pic)
China Center staff Yongwei Zhang, Jennifer Wu, and Yuedong Zhou visited University of Minnesota coordinate campuses in Morris and Duluth to meet with administrators, staff, and faculty to discuss prospects for cooperation. In Morris, they met with chancellor Jackie Johnson and the associate vice chancellor for admissions, James Morales. Johnson showed great interest in the discussed proposal for Morris to deliver general education courses in China. More discussions regarding details of this proposal will take place over the next few months. In addition, the China Center will provide funding for one Morris admissions officer on the upcoming China Center recruitment trip to China. In Duluth, China Center staff met with the vice chancellor for Academic Administration, Vincent Magnuson, and dean of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics, Kjell Knudsen. Various possibilities for collaborating with Chinese universities and promoting academic exchanges and cooperation were discussed. The China Center mission is system-wide, so interaction with the coordinating campuses will be ongoing with the goal of promoting their connections with China.
July
- Dragon Festival (pic)(pic)(pic)
The China Center again participated in the Dragon Festival—a celebration of the diverse Asian-Pacific cultures in the Twin Cities. Some members of the China University of Mining and Technology (see below) participated as members of the boat team while others enjoyed cheering them on and experiencing the rest of the festival. The China Center's team name was "The Fighting Pandas" and a panda mascot was on hand to give balloons and fans to festival goers and to lead the boat as the team drummer.
- Higher Education Management and Academic Teaching Training Group from China University of Mining and Technology
A month long training for 33 young lecturers and professors from the China University of Mining and Technology started on July 9. They came to the University of Minnesota to learn about U.S. higher education, improve their English proficiency, obtain advanced knowledge on pedagogy, and expand their academic research areas—most of which are in electronic engineering, civil engineering, computer science, geography and geology, and public transportation.
- Zhang Meets with Deputy Commissioner of Jilin Provincial Bureau of Education (pic)
Yongwei Zhang, China Center director, visited his hometown in Jilin Province in early July. While there, he met with the deputy commissioner of the Provincial Bureau of Education. The two of them discussed training possibilities for the elementary and secondary school teachers as well as school administrators in the province. Staff from the Mingda Institute for Leadership Training are planning a trip to follow up on this meeting and work with the provincial bureau to develop specific plans for the training. Jilin Province is located in the Northeastern part of China, and there are more than 310,000 teachers working in elementary and secondary schools, according to the information provided by the bureau.
- Zhang Explores Partnership with Chinese National Academy of Education Administration (pic)(pic)
China Center director Yongwei Zhang visited with officials from the National Academy of Education Administration (NAEA) in Beijing. He met with the vice president of International Affairs as well as staff and faculty. NAEA has great interest in building a collaborative partnership with the Mingda Institute of Leadership Training and hopes to develop joint programs for university administrators in China. The NAEA is directly affiliated to the Ministry of Education and has a unique role in providing training programs for educational administrators throughout China.
June
- Zhang Meets with the Communication University of China (pic)(pic)
China Center director Yongwei Zhang visited the Communication University of China (CUC) located in Beijing. CUC is a highly regarded in the areas of journalism, media, and communication, and is considered the best of its kind in China. The chair of the board of the university and two other vice presidents—including the vice president of academic affairs—warmly received Zhang and discussed their strong interest in collaborating with the University of Minnesota. The China Center will help facilitate this collaboration and expects that a strong relationship will develop.
- Capital Normal University Higher Education Delegation
Seventeen department heads, deans, and administrators from Capital Normal University received a one-week training on the U.S. higher education system June 20-27. They attended lectures focusing on how contemporary universities and colleges handle administrative decision making, faculty and staff, university services management, and international admission policy.
- China Center facilitates collaboration between the law schools of Renmin University of China and University of Minnesota (pic)
University of Minnesota Law School dean Fred Morrison and China Center director Yongwei Zhang visited the Renmin University of China on June 20. They had a productive meeting with the administrators and faculty at the Law School: dean Wang Liming, executive associate dean Han Dayuan, assistant to the dean Shi Jiayou, and three other faculty and staff members. The group discussed a U of M Law School proposal of holding a summer J.D. program at Renmin University. A preliminary consensus was reached and an agreement between the two law schools will signed in the near future. Zhang and Morrison also met with Ms. Cheng Xin and Ms. Zhang Damiao of the Department of International Exchanges at Renmin University.
May
- Public Health EMBA Training Group
A Public Health Executive MBA Delegation comprised of 25 Chinese hospital administrators and public officials visited the University of Minnesota on May 29 and 30. The China Center and the School of Public Health collaborated on hosting this group, who visited Mayo Clinic Rochester, the Department of Public Health, and Medtronic World headquarters.
- China Center Staff Featured on Local News
Joan Brzezinski and Dr. Jennifer Wu appeared in a KARE 11 News story about etiquette in China and what U.S. athletes can expect when they travel to Beijing for the Olympic games this August.
- China Center Co-Sponsors Business Lectures
The China Center co-sponsored two business lectures at the end of May . The first was with the Chinese American Business Association of Minnesota: “Doing Business in China, My Biased Observations” by Dr. Lynn Lin. It was held a the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management on May 22.
The second lecture was on May 29 at Luris Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP. It was organized by the China Business Colloquium and was titled “Doing Business with China, An Updated Discussion with Experts from the Front Line.” The featured speaker at this event was former China Center director and current vice president of Asian operations of Griffin International Companies, Hong Yang. Other speakers included Jeff Jiang, Sarah Shi, Kip Knippel, and Richard Ellis.
- Zhang Attends UMAA Event in Washington D.C. (pic, courtesy UMAA) (pic)
China Center director, Dr. Yongwei Zhang, attended a University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) event held at the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. on May 6. UMAA members had the rare opportunity to visit the Embassy and meet with Ambassador Zhou as well as reconnect with other University graduates. Dr. Zhang was given the opportunity to speak a few words about the China Center and it's mission before mingling with the attendees.
- Two EMBA Training Groups from Guangdong Province
Continuing the long-term relationship between the University of Minnesota China Center and China Sun Yat-Sen University, two Executive MBA delegations (comprised of over 60 Chinese CEOs, presidents, and senior managers) attended training programs prepared by the Mingda Institute for Leadership Training in April and May.
Both groups were impressed with the lectures presented by University faculty members and business experts on various topics including human resources management, effective corporate communication, and international marketing. Visits to local businesses such as Thomson Reuters, Lurie Besikof Lapidus, 3M Innovation Center, Seagate, and Best Buy were also a highlight. It allowed the delegates first-hand experience to further understand the U.S. market economy and start relationships for future cooperation with American business partners.
- First U.S.-China Principals Summit Held at University of Minnesota
The China Center co-organized the first gathering of principals from the U.S. and China to discuss similarities and differences between the two countries' educational systems and how they can collaborate in the future. This U.S.-China Principals Summit was unique from other gatherings of educators from the two countries because featured speakers focused on current research in the field of education rather than just current practices and language instruction. After two days of exceptional speakers and dialog, Minnesota schools hosted the Chinese principals at their schools in the greater metro area.
This groundbreaking summit was covered in the local news by KARE 11 TV, MinnPost, and China Insight.
April
- China Day Draws Record Attendance (pic)
On April 18th, the China Center successfully hosted the 7th annual China Day at the Northrop Auditorium. More than 850 Chinese language students from nine high schools in the Twin Cities attended the event. The theme for this year’s China Day was the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Meredith McQuaid, vice president and dean of the International Programs at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Yongwei Zhang, director of China Center, started the event with welcome remarks and brief speeches. Chris Isett and Doug Hartman, professors of History and Sociology at the University of Minnesota, presented the keynote speech on Beijing Olympics and answered students’ questions. Forty students representing each of the schools participated in a bilingual Jeopardy-style game with questions on the Beijing Olympics. Professor Joe Allen, dean of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, gave a short talk. A Chinese box lunch was served and prizes were drawn. Nearly a hundred students received Beijing Olympics t-shirts and other prizes. Finally, student speakers from each school introduced their Chinese programs and received Olympics gifts from China Center. The goal of the annual China Day event is to encourage Chinese language learning and promote interest in Chinese culture among high schools students in the Twin Cities.
China Day was covered by the Minnesota Daily newspaper and featured on the front page.
March
- China Center Director a Speaker for the College of Continuing Education's "Headliners" Lecture Series
Dr. Yongwei Zhang presented a lecture, The China Connection, for the acclaimed lecture series "Headliners". He spoke about the changing Chinese economy and the related global consequences. More information can be found on the Headliners Web site.
February
- Students from the High School Affiliated with Renmin University hosted by China Center (pic)
The China Center hosted ten students from the High School Affiliated with Renmin University for lunch February 15. These students—all active members of the Little Writers Association—came to Minnesota on an exchange program with Breck School. Dr. Yongwei Zhang spoke to the students about the University of Minnesota and then gave them each a U of M t-shirt. Later that day, Joan Brzezinski and Jennifer Wu Dunn took the students to Coffman Union for lunch so they could experience first-hand the typical experience of a college student’s lunch hour. The China Center thanks Mr. David Cheng, owner of the China Tribune, for making this connection! (Photo courtesy of Dr. Hua Sun.)
- China Center Staff Visit Chicago Consulate General and Confucius Institute (pic1)(pic2)
- China Center Celebrates the Year of the Rat with Community
(pic)
The China Center’s annual Chinese New Year’s event was held on February 5. More than 200 people from the community—including business people, members of academia, and other friends of the China Center—celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Rat.
The evening started with a program of Chinese music and dance. Attendees were treated to a vocal performances from Dr. Wang Lixin and Ms. Qian Xu, three dances performed by the Chinese American Association of Minnesota, Dr. Yongwei Zhang playing the erhu and dizi, and the feature performance by world renowned pipa artist Gao Hong.
Following the musical program, Dr. Zhang presented plaques to the China Center’s Corporate Partners in recognition for their generous support. Outgoing China Center Advisory Council members were also recognized.
The evening ended with dinner served in the Humphrey Center Atrium, which had been festively decorated in red and gold with lanterns, candies, couplets, and other decorations.
China Center staff traveled to Chicago February 13 and 14. Highlights of the trip included a meeting at the Chinese Consulate with Consul General Ping Huang and a meeting at the Chicago Confucius Institute with director Robert Jones—who had recently accepted an award for being one of the 20 Confucius Institutes of the Year 2007. These meetings focused on how each group could collaborate with the China Center in the future.
January
- University of Minnesota Law School Dean Fred Morrison visits Renmin University and Capital Normal University in Beijing (pic1)(pic2)(pic3)
China Center director Yongwei Zhang and the U of M Law School Dean Fred Morrison visited Remin University and the Capital Normal University in Beijing during their recent trip to China on January 14-16. They received a warm welcome from the officials of both institutions. Yuedong Zhou from the China Center and Stacey Mitchell from the Law School China program accompanied them during the entire visit and participated in all the meetings and other activities.
Capital Normal is the cooperative partner with the U in their joint project of the Confucius Institute. The Beijing Higher Education faculty Training Center, located on the campus of the Capital Normal, is also a partner of the the China Center’s leadership training program. The meetings with the officials from the Center, the International Exchanges Office, and the Law School were cordial and productive.
Renmin University is a top ranked institution and its law school is highly regarded in China. Prof. Morrison was pleased with his meeting with the law school officials there and they have agreed to continue to have conversations about the collaborative efforts and joint programs between the two law schools in the future. The vice president of the Renmin University, Prof. Chen Yulu, met with the group from the University of Minnesota.
