[photopress:MBA_mary_sue_colman.jpg,full,alignright]The President of Michigan University Mary Sue Coleman has made it clear that she wants to expand the University’s involvement in China. That does not mean the university wants to open a branch there. It has already done that.
More that there is a commitment to working closely with China.
The university has just hosted 23 top Chinese education officials for two weeks of discussions about expanding current partnerships and initiating new ones.
The delegation discussed how to advance partnerships between the United States and China and create autonomy in Chinese universities.
The delegation included presidents, vice presidents and other high-level officials from Chinese universities, as well as representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Education and National Academy of Education Administration.
In a written statement Mary Sue Coleman: ‘Stronger relationships between China’s and Michigan’s universities will ensure that our students and scholars are better prepared to cooperate on the emerging opportunities that are shaping the global marketplace.’
From 1999 to 2005 the number of students earning degrees from Chinese universities quadrupled, and Chinese officials are now looking to update their higher education systems.
Linzhong Yu, president of East China Normal University, said in a written statement that the Chinese higher education system puts too much power in the Ministry of Education.
As Chinese universities grow, he said, they need to adopt the models used by successful universities in other countries.
He said, ‘We need a lot of autonomy.’
Already in place is the University of Michigan — Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute formed in 2005. The institute, housed on the campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, grants a joint degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong and the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. (Note that this is not a Business School offering an MBA. It is the College of Engineering which is another matter altogether.)
Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs, will visit Beijing next fall to finalize plans to establish a Confucius Institute, a center for Chinese language and culture, on the University’s Ann Arbor campus.
He said, ‘Through the Confucius Institute, we hope to expand on the already substantial opportunities for students and faculty in China, especially those interested in Chinese arts.’
Source: The Michigan Daily
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