University of Hawai'i reaffirms strong ties with key Chinese Universities

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Jenny Samaan, (808) 956-2222
International Education and Relations
Posted: Nov 7, 2007

BEIJING -- University of Hawaiʻi President David McClain and Peking University President Xu Zhihong renewed a Basic Agreement of Cooperation in the Great Hall of the People on November 2. Beida, as it is commonly referred to, is one of UH‘ s most active partnerships. "The international relationship between the University of Hawaiʻi and Peking University has been a long and very productive one, dating back to 1988," noted McClain.

On October 31, the President and Beijing Foreign Studies University President Hao Ping penned a three-year Basic Agreement of Cooperation on behalf of the UH System. During the ceremony, a Student Exchange Agreement was also signed between UH Manoa and Beiwai, as it is known.

Beiwai is also a partner with the Mānoa campus‘ Center for Chinese Studies in the Confucius Institute, one of only 11 in the United States and one of 100 worldwide, which was established in January 2007. Support for the Institute comes through the National Office of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language in the Chinese Ministry of Education. The Institute‘s aim is to train teachers of Chinese language and culture.

The ceremonies were witnessed by a UH delegation of faculty and administrators attending the Beijing Forum. Included were Professor of Financial Economics Rosita Chang (currently serving as the director of the Center for Chinese Studies), Professor of Philosophy Roger Ames (former Center director), Dean Christine Sorensen of the UHM College of Education, and UHM COE Professors Xu Di, and Gail Tamaribuchi. The UH Foundation was represented by President and CEO Donna Vuchinich and Mangmang Brown, Director of International Engagement.

The Beijing Forum is an annual symposium co-sponsored by Peking University, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies. Organizers describe its aim as being "to promote academic development and social progress in the Asia-Pacific region and the world in order to contribute to the development and prosperity of humankind."

President McClain's remarks to the Beijing Forum are available online at: http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/op/index.html

About Peking University

Founded in 1898 in Beijing, China, Peking University (PKU / Beida) is one of the most prestigious educational and research facilities in the People‘s Republic of China today, and became the first national university in modern Chinese history. As a comprehensive and national key university, it enrolls more than 10,000 students including 4,000+ international students from 80+ countries. For more information visit: http://www.pku.edu.cn

About Beijing Foreign Studies University

Established in 1941, and having acquired university status in 1954, Beijing Foreign Studies University (Beiwai) is one of China‘s key universities. Administered directly under the State Education University, it is China‘s most prestigious school for the study of language. Comparable with Georgetown University in the United States, Beiwai graduates most diplomats and foreign relations officials working in the government. Over 30 different foreign languages are taught to nearly 1,000 international and 4,500 Chinese students, opportunities abound for sharing language and cultural exchange. For more information visit: http://www.bfsu.edu.cn/

About the University of Hawaiʻi

Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawaiʻi is the state‘s sole public system of higher education. The UH System provides an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and community programs on 10 campuses and through educational, training, and research centers across the state. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawaiʻi, the U.S. mainland, and around the world. For more information, visit www.hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/op/index.html