Agreement advances strategic partnership with Chinese university

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Left to right, Vivian Wang-ISS, Drs. Ping Wang and Yanjun Qiu with SWJTU, SWJTU President Fei Xu, Dr. Wanming Zhai-SWJTU, Dr. Pam Fry- interim provost, President Burns Hargis, Jeff Simpson-Study Abroad, Tim Huff-ISS, and Dr. Guang Chen-SWJTU. Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Southwest Jiaotong University to cooperate in establishing several joint programs to advance faculty development and student exchanges.

One of the main objectives for the SWJTU delegation, during its April 25 visit, was to seek OSU’s expertise in the establishment of a junior faculty training development center. The group, from Chengdu, China, met with the Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence to develop plans to work with ITLE, the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, and the College of Education to establish one of the best faculty development centers in China.

The agreement also includes a reciprocal exchange and 2+2 transfer programs at the undergraduate level, Chinese Scholarship Council sponsored graduate and undergraduate programs, student affairs workshops, and exchanges for staff.

Over the past three years, SWJTU’s support of Chinese language instruction at OSU has enabled the re-establishment of a Chinese language minor program. There has been a subsequent increase in both opportunities for study in China as well as OSU students pursuing studies there.

Dr. Lee Bird, vice president for student affairs, who was responsible for the initial contact and affiliation with SWJTU, welcomed the delegation and expressed continuing support for SWJTU in student affairs professional development. The group also met with leaders in CEAT as well as the Spears School of Business to discuss more joint degree programs and research collaboration.

During an afternoon reception, SWJTU President Fei Xu was greeted by more than 40 former SWJTU students who are currently pursuing degrees at OSU as well as numerous OSU faculty members from China. Afterwards, Presidents Xu and Hargis signed the agreements.

For more information about OSU’s programs in China, please contact: Vivian Wang, manager of the Chinese Development International Students and Scholars Office, at (405) 744-4283 or email vivian.wang@okstate.edu.