The delegation, which included Havidán Rodríguez, vice provost for academic affairs and international programs; Tom Apple, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Lesa Griffiths, director of the Center for International Studies; Nancy M. Targett, dean of the College of Marine and Earth Studies; Xiao-Hai Yan, Mary A. S. Lighthipe Professor of Marine and Earth Studies; and John Xiao, professor of physics and astronomy, met with senior administrators and faculty at both universities.
Harker provided a detailed overview of UD, highlighting the University's strengths, accomplishments and contributions in number of academic and research areas, as well as how UD is addressing today's global challenges through its innovative research programs and other global initiatives. He emphasized UD's significant connections to China and the importance of expanding those strategic partnerships.
Harker and ECNU President Yu Lizhong signed an institutional agreement to engage in a strategic, long-term and mutually beneficial partnership between UD and ECNU.
SJTU has an enrollment of more than 40,000 students in a variety of top-rated academic and research programs with a major emphasis on practice and innovation. One of its major strengths is in engineering, in which it is ranked second in China.
With an enrollment of more than 26,000 students, ECNU is a comprehensive university with leading academic programs in a number of areas, including education, psychology, Chinese language and literature, history, philosophy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography and biology, among others.
Havidán Rodríguez, vice provost for academic affairs and international programs, who wrote about the visit from China, below shares his reflections on the delegation's experience.
“China is a wonderful country! We had the honor of meeting and working with some of the most hospitable people that we've had the pleasure to interact with. We marveled at is rich culture, strong heritage, the wonderful landscapes and burgeoning cities, which are a result of traditional construction intertwined with the ever-expanding modern architecture.
“The excellent academic, research, social and cultural interactions and experiences that we had will shape and strengthen our institutional and personal partnerships with the universities and colleagues that we visited with during our stay in China. The University of Delaware is committed to developing strategic global partnerships that are productive, long-standing and self-sustaining. These partnerships will allow UD to increase its global presence and impact as we proceed along the Path to Prominence.ª
“There should be no doubt that China already has and will continue to have important demographic, social, cultural, economic and political impacts throughout the world. The amount of effort and investment that the Chinese government is making in order to enhance, expand and promote its institutions of higher education and to increase its international presence and impact can only be described as amazing.
“As we move to strengthen our academic and research programs, there is no doubt that we have to work very closely with some of the leading academic institutions in China, such as the ones that we visited during this trip. Not only can UD make important contributions in this collaborative process, but we also have much to gain and learn from these institutions that will be at the academic and research forefront, not only nationally but internationally, as well.
“As highlighted by President Harker, 'UD's delegation to China was a great success in that we continue to strengthen our study abroad and research collaborations in one of the most dynamic places in the world. China's universities continue to strive for excellence, and we look forward to developing many new research programs and academic exchanges with our partner institutions. It was also great to spend time with the 26 young Delawareans who are part of the Governor's School for Excellence in China; they're wonderful representatives of our state and are part of a truly life-changing experience.'
“We leave China with a strong sense of accomplishment, acknowledging that our visits to the different institutions were extremely productive, rewarding and very promising. However, despite the long hours, the delayed flights and the lack of sleep as a result of our never-ending jetlag, there is also a sense of sadness, as we leave this magnificent country rich in traditions and culture.
“While many people at UD and in the institutions that we visited in China were responsible for organizing this very hectic and complicated (but productive) schedule, it is important for the UD delegation to recognize the very important and critical roles that both professors Xiao-Hai Yan and John Xiao played in this process. Simply put, without their constant assistance, interventions, their active participation and important contributions to our meetings, our trip would have not been possible. We thank them for all their efforts and time to ensure that we had very successful and gratifying experiences.”
