University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 27, April 17



                           Banking education
              Chinese delegation signs training agreement
     
     Adelegation of Chinese representatives, led by Han
Zhongdong, president of the Agricultural Bank of China's
Training Institute at Tianjin, visited UD in April and
signed a partner school agreement to cooperate in a long-
term training program designed to enable the Agricultural
Bank of China to become a full-service commercial bank.
     According to Lawrence P. Donnelley, international
programs and special sessions, the Agricultural Bank of
China-arguably the largest bank in the world with over a
half million employees and 50,000 branches-has traditionally
had a limited lending role in the large agricultural sector
of China.  It, along with the other major Chinese banks, has
now embarked on an ambitious commercialization program that
will allow it better to service the burgeoning Chinese
economy.
     To achieve its goals, the bank is investigating Western
banking systems, particularly that of the United States.
     According to Paul Olchvary, international programs and
special sessions, UD will develop the necessary training
programs using a variety of resources, including the
University's on-campus expertise and that of the American
Bankers Association, the nation's largest provider of bank
training services.
     In addition, Olchvary said, local Delaware banks will
be invited to participate in the training programs.  Most
notably, Wilmington Trust Co. has already been active in
this effort.
     Also present at the signing ceremony were
representatives from the Agricultural Bank of China's
headquarters in Beijing and its two other training
institutes in Wuhan and Changchun.  They were joined by
representatives from the American Bankers Association,
Delaware Bankers Association, Office of the State Banking
Commissioner, Wilmington Trust Co., and UD's Office of the
Treasurer.
     After signing the agreement, Donnelley called it "the
beginning of a long, trusting and mutually beneficial
relationship between the University and the institute."
     President Han agreed, saying that "this agreement
serves as a strong foundation on which future cooperation
will be built."