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Peking University, Dec. 9, 2011: On the afternoon of December 3 (local time) the 5th Conference of Peking University (PKU) US Alumni Associations opened in Harvard Club of New York City. The PKU delegation and more than 150 PKU Alumni from over 14 US alumni associations were present. Permanent Representative of China to the UN Li Baodong with his wife Minister Counselor Lu Hailin, Counselor of Education at the Chinese Consulate-General in New York Cen Jianjun, Dr. Su Lihuang from the Central Advisory Council of the Ministry of Health and many other VIPs were invited to the opening ceremony.
the 5th Conference of Peking University (PKU) US Alumni Associations opened in Harvard Club of New York City
The opening ceremony started at 2:30 p.m. with the beautiful melody of the PKU's school song. Chairman of PKU Alumni Association of Greater New York (PKUAAGNY) Guo Shengbei’s delivered a welcome speech, in which he expressed gratitude to PKU for always supporting and caring for its overseas alumni and all US alumni associations. Lu Hailin and Dr. Su Lihuang were also invited to speak. They spoke highly of the key role that PKU has played in the history of Chinese independence and prosperity, and said that PKU US alumni were role models for Chinese Americans in that they displayed self-cultivation, patriotism and a willingness to service for the society. They concluded by promising to continue supporting the development of PKU US alumni. Former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Mayor of the New York City Peng Bo both sent a congratulatory letter to the conference.
PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu delivered a keynote speech at the conference
PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu delivered a keynote speech. He firstly noted that promoting PKU to world-class level was a lifelong dream for generations of PKU teachers and students. According to the development plan, PKU should be one of the world-class universities in China by 2020. Zhu called upon the 300,000 PKU alumni worldwide to help achieve this aim. He also said that PKU always paid great attention to the work of alumni associations, which had a long history and had made great contributions to many aspects of PKU and China. He expected the alumni associations to become an important player in transferring sciences and technologies to productivity and serve as a vehicle for the promotion of Chinese cultures.
The 7th PKU Weiming Forum took place as planned after the opening ceremony, in which guest speakers from New York's business and academic world delivered speeches on education and the development of alumni associations. The Weiming Forum started in 2006 and this year saw it become a platform for communicating of not only ideas but also friendship, as it was held alongside with the conference of alumni associations.
This conference was just part of the agenda of the PKU delegation led by Zhu Shanlu, who began their tour to universities and research institutes in North America on November 27, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, Harvard, Yale and Columbia University. By December 3, the delegation had signed a number of exchanges and cooperation agreements, met with international friends and agencies, and introduced new developments and strategies of PKU’s and Chinese education and culture. The delegation had also held a series of discussions with representatives of Chinese students and PKU alumni overseas. The aim of these visits was to look into the latest development of world-class universities, promote communications, deepen cooperation and attract overseas talents and accelerate PKU’s development to become a world-class university.
On the morning of November 28 (local time, the same below), the delegation visited Stanford University and met with Stanford President John L. Hennessy, Dean of the School of H&S Richard Saller. Afterwards the delegation went on to UC Berkeley and signed the “the Memorandum of Understanding on Chinese Higher Education Forum between PKU, Berkeley and Harvard”. The forum will be mainly on the topic of Chinese higher education and will be hosted by the three universities in turn.
PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu with Stanford President John L. Hennessy
On November 29, the delegation visited the University of British Columbia and met with President Stephen J. Toope and Vice-president John Hepburn. The two parties negotiated issues on management, academic exchanges and collaboration and an agreement on bilateral cooperation of law schools was signed, which will further their 20 years’ cooperation in the field of law.
On the afternoon of November 30, the delegation called at the University of Toronto and held talks with President David Naylor, renewed the bilateral cooperation agreement, and signed another on student exchanges.
PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu with David Naylor, President of the University of Toronto
On December 1, the delegation visited Harvard University and was welcomed by Harvard President Drew Faust. The delegation exchanged ideas in-depth with renowned Harvard scholars and managers in various fields.
PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu with Harvard President Drew Faust
On the afternoon of December 2, the delegation visited Yale University. Yale President Richard Levin, Vice president Linda Koch Lorimer and PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu signed an agreement of extending collaboration five years after Yale and PKU began their joint undergraduate program in Beijing. Yale administrators said the agreement to extend the program reflected their satisfaction with the current arrangement.
PKU Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu and Yale President Richard Levin signed an agreement to extend the PKU-Yale Joint Undergraduate Program
Written by: Feng Xiaomang
Edited by: Chen Long
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
