The Africa Initiative

International Initiatives

The China Initiative

 

Why China?

China is a country undergoing dramatic changes. Never in the history of the world has a nation seen the rise of so many people — hundreds of millions — into the middle class, as citizens move from the countryside to the cities. With its remarkable economic transformation comes great challenges in education, sustainability, employment, social and political change — indeed, the major global problems of the 21st century are exemplified in many ways in China. Some 130 years after former U-M President James Angell visited China to forge two major treaties between the nations, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman led a delegation to China in 2005, and again in 2010, to strengthen existing ties and establish new educational opportunities.

President Coleman and others have traveled to China with a goal of building partnerships that will enable U-M’s faculty, students, and the entire University community to reach their fullest potential in a globalizing world. Additionally, the groups of faculty and administrators hope to share lessons of Michigan’s success as a great public research university as a model for Chinese higher education.

Results

The University has established, reinforced and expanded academic partnerships with a number of institutions. Collaboration between U-M and China continues to grow, with increasing opportunities for U-M students to study in China and increasing numbers of students and visitors from China at U-M. In addition to its university partnerships, U-M has established an effective relationship with the Chinese Ministry of Education for forums devoted to university leadership.

In 2008, a task force was appointed by President Coleman to review progress on U-M’s interactions with China and to recommend steps for enhanced engagement issued a report, which may be found here.

Expanding U-M's Ties with China

IN THE NEWS
Read more about the delegation to Beijing and Shanghai

• President Coleman appears on China's CCTV
• Highlights of 2010 meetings in Shanghai and Beijing
• Alumni in China and Hong Kong meet with the president
• U-M launches Confucius Institute
• U-M collaborates with several universities

SPEECHES

• 2010 Address at Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• 2005 Honorary Degree Speech at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Michigan-China University Leadership Forum

During President Mary Sue Coleman's 2005 trip to China she met with officials from the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), who requested that U-M host a two-week forum for Chinese higher education leaders on the management of world-class research universities. The inaugural forum, took place in May 2006 with 25 Chinese university presidents and higher education leaders participating.

U-M hosted a second leadership forum in 2008 and a third forum in 2010.