China Development Forum
Invited by the China Development and Research Foundation, Dr. Weijun Zhao attended the “2009 China Development Forum” on March 21 and 22, 2009. The theme of this year’s forum was China’s development and reform in the global financial crisis. The forum was sponsored and organized by the Development and Research Center of the State Council. More than 400 governmental senior officials and Chinese and foreign company executives attended the forum.
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Visit to the New Office Location
On April 15, 2009, Dr. John K. Hudzik, vice president for Global Engagement and Strategic Projects and Dr. Jeffrey M. Riedinger, dean of International Studies and Programs (ISP), visited the new location of MSU’s China Office. The new office is located in downtown Beijing with convenient transportation and communication systems that will greatly facilitate office operations and development.
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Beijing Alumni Meeting
On May 10, 2009, the MSU Beijing Alumni Association held a meeting at the China Office to elect the new leaders for its organization. Professor Yi Zhang (2002, Ph.D., Finance) of Peking University has been serving as the president since the group was first formed in 2003. We appreciate his commitment and contribution for serving the alumni for so many years. The alumni unanimously elected Mr. Ping Gai (2003, MA, Telecommunication) as the new president, and Mr. Hua Li (2001, BA, Accounting) as the vice president. Both Mr. Gai and Mr. Li expressed their wishes to serve the association and plan to organize more activities for the members.
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Visit to China National School of Administration
On May 16, 2009, Dr. Weijun Zhao accompanied Mr. Jonathan Choi, president of Sunwah Group, to visit China National School of Administration (CNSA). Mr. Choi is a long-term supporter of MSU’s programs in China. CNSA is a national training center for middle and senior-level civil servants, senior executives, and policy research fellows. Ms. Weilang Chen, vice president of CNSA met with Mr. Choi and Dr. Zhao. Each party introduced its main work and expressed interest in cooperation on future programs and projects.
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Meeting Freshmen at Chengdu
On May 19, 2009, Dr. Weijun Zhao and Ms. Qing Xia of MSU’s Visiting International Professional Program held a meeting with newly admitted MSU students in the Chengdu area. MSU has begun admitting quite a few freshmen from the Chengdu and Chongqing areas each year. This event was designed to provide information and better prepare students for campus life at MSU. About 25 students and their parents attended this two hour event. Both Dr. Zhao and Ms. Xia answered many questions from the students and parents.
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Peter Briggs visits the China Office
Mr. Peter Briggs, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), visited MSU’s China Office on June 17, 2009. He met with representatives from the MSU Beijing Alumni Association, including the newly elected President Mr. Ping Gai and Vice President Mr. Hua Li. This is the first time Mr. Briggs visited China as the director of OISS.
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Presidential Forum on Agricultural Development in Africa
On June 17 and 18, 2009, Dean Riedinger, ISP and Senior Associate Dean Frank Fear, CANR, attended “The International Agricultural University Presidential Forum on Agricultural Development in Africa”. The forum was organized by China Agricultural University with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). More than a dozen African university presidents, at least ten Chinese agricultural university presidents, and two European agricultural university college deans were invited to attend. MSU was one of only five American universities invited to attend the forum. Dean Riedinger gave a presentation to the forum introducing MSU’s 50 years of involvement in Africa’s agricultural development process. The forum, after combining the knowledge of experts from China, Europe, America, and Africa, will, undoubtedly, have a profound and lasting impact on present and future African agricultural development.
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Five-University Joint Conference on the Turfgrass Program
On June 20, 2009, a five-university joint conference was held on the campus of Beijing Forestry University. This was the sixth conference held by the universities since they inaugurated the joint education program on Turfgrass management in 2003. The conference made significant progress on many issues regarding the joint education program, including adjustment of tuition rates for the program, which is growing steadily. It continues to set a successful model for other joint education programs with China.
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China Development Research Foundation
From January 9 through 17, 2009, the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF) sent a delegation to study child nutrition and school lunch programs in the United States. The delegation was led by Mr. Cui Xin, Deputy Secretary General of CDRF. Members of the delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Health and Guangxi Provincial Department of Education. The delegation visited the USDA in Washington D.C. and the Michigan Department of Education in Lansing. They also visited several secondary schools in Washington D.C., Flint and Jackson, Michigan. MSU’s Office of China Programs was asked to arrange and coordinate the delegation’s visit in Washington D.C. and Michigan. Dr. Mike Hamm, Dr. Susan Smeatly, and Ms. Colleen Matts of the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies, helped with visits to the Department of Education and different school districts.
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Shenzhen University
Led by Professor Bigong Zhang, President of Shenzhen University, a six-member delegation from the University visited MSU on January 8, 2009. During their one-day stop at MSU, they met with Provost Kim Wilcox, Vice President John Hudzik, Dr. Marsha Rappley, Dean, College of Human Medicine, and Dr. Karin Wurst, Dean, College of Arts and Letters. Both sides discussed potential cooperation and exchange in the areas of human medicine, and arts and humanity. President Zhang extended an invitation to Dean Rappley to the inauguration of their new medical school, and Dean Rappley accepted the invitation.
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