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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Chinese education officials visit 'U'
As China Now theme
year ends, officials
talk of collaboration
By CHARLES GREGG-GEIST
Daily News Editor
University President Mary Sue
Coleman has made it clear that she
wants to expand the University's
involvement in China. Coleman
traveled to China in 2005 and has
frequently worked to strengthen
the University's relationships with
institutions there. She reaffirmed
her commitment to workingclosely
with China this month, hosting 23
top Chinese education officials for
two weeks of discussions about
expanding current partnerships
and initiating new ones.
The delegation spent the last
two weeks in southeast Michigan
discussing how to advance partner-
ships between the United States and
China and create autonomy in Chi-
nese universities.
The delegation included presi-
dents, vice presidents and other
high-level officials from Chinese
universities, as well as representa-
tives from the Chinese Ministry of
MEMORIAL MARCH
Education and National Academy
of Education Administration.
In addition to meeting with fac-
ulty and administrators from the
University, the members of the
delegation also visited Michigan
State University and Wayne State
University.
"The (Chinese) universities are
economic engines for their regions,
just as the University of Michigan
is an economic engine for south-
east Michigan," Cook said. "As
are Michigan State University and
Wayne State University."
The discussions with 23 top
officials from 18 leading Chinese
universities and government agen-
cies marked the conclusion of the
University's "China Now" theme
year.
"Stronger relationshipsbetween
China's and Michigan's universi-
ties will ensure that our students
and scholars are better prepared
to cooperate on the emerging
opportunities that are shaping the
global marketplace," Coleman said
in a written statement.
Both China and Michigan are
set to benefit from these relation-
ships, Cook said.
From 1999 to 2005 the number
of students earning degrees from
Chinese universities quadrupled,
and Chinese officials are now look-
ing to update their higher educa-
tion systems.
Cook said the Chinese officials
were interested in moving towards
an administration structure that
more closely resembled the Uni-
versity's.
"They see how effective that is
at the University of Michigan, to
have a more decentralized deci-
sion-making structure and more
powerful deans," she said.
Linzhong Yu, president of East
China Normal University, said in
a written statement that the Chi-
nese 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.
"We need a lot of autonomy," he
said.
The centerpiece of the Universi-
ty's current partnership with Chi-
nese universities 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.
Dexiu Ma, chairwoman of the
SJTU University Council, met Fri-
day with representatives from the
University and discussed ways to
expand the joint institute over the
next three years.
College of Engineering Prof.
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