AsianScientist (Apr. 20, 2011) – During a visit to MIT last week, Chinese officials signed a Letter of Intent to encourage collaboration between MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a fellowship program with the China Scholarship Council to sponsor students from China to study at MIT.
In a speech given by Madame Liu Yandong, State Councilor of the People’s Republic of China, Liu briefly touched on the major turning points in China’s history, observing that this year marks the 40th anniversary of Henry Kissinger’s historic first trip to China which opened the country up to “fully embrace the world.”
Liu also announced the addition of 10,000 new, Chinese-government-sponsored scholarships for American students to study in China, which is double from the previous year.
During the signing ceremony, MIT President Susan Hockfield welcomed the prospect of stronger educational relations with China.
“From my own visits to China, I have seen that [the country] has much to teach us. For almost as long as MIT has been around, Chinese students and scholars have been part of MIT,” says Hockfield.
Hockfield also mentioned that people in China are the largest users of online educational materials provided by MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW), and added that the Institute draws more of its international students and researchers from China than from any other country.
During the visit, the Chinese delegation toured MIT and listened to presentations given by Prof. Guoping Feng and Prof. Gang Chen, both of whom are Chinese faculty at MIT.
Liu said China is today actively seeking international partnerships with leading universities and research institutions in an effort to improve innovation in areas such as energy and the environment. These partnerships would help the country meet key national goals, including a government pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2020.
Despite news that Shanghai had come out top worldwide in standardized math and science exams, Liu said educational development remained “uneven” throughout China. She said Chinese students today deal with too much pressure, both from home and school, and referenced author Amy Chua’s polarizing book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, in illustrating a typical strict Chinese upbringing.
“In China, parents admire the American way, and want a freer environment for their children,” Liu said. “A marriage between the US and China would create the best educational system in the world.”
This MIT visit comes one day after Liu met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC, to identify ways to increase cooperation between US and Chinese research institutions.
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Source: MIT.
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