Peking University, Mar. 17, 2012: Professor Stephen Toope, President of The University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, visited Peking University (PKU) on the morning of Mar. 5, 2012. On the welcome ceremony, Professor Zhu Shanlu, Council Chairman of PKU, introduced the history of PKU to President Toope and his delegation, with an emphasis on the responsibility of world-class universities in globalization and internationalization. Professor Toope agreed with Professor Zhu on the proposal of a deeper communication between UBC and PKU in student exchange programs, academic research, international issues, and also in other fields. An agreement about the student exchange program between the two universities was signed, which paved a concrete way for further cooperation.

After the meeting, President Toope visited the School of Education, PKU. He lectured under the title “To Break the Ice,” which exhibited his understanding of student exchange programs, and then chatted with the faculties and students there.

Background Information:

The University of British Columbia (commonly referred to as UBC) is a public research university located in Vancouver, Canada. The University of British Columbia is ranked second in Canada and 37th worldwide in the Academic Ranking of World Universities, second in Canada and 22nd worldwide in the Times Higher Education rankings, third in Canada and 51st globally in the QS World University Rankings, and second in Canada and eighth overall in Newsweek's ranking of top universities outside of the United States. The university has been affiliated with five Nobel laureates.

President Toope earned his PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge, (1987), his degrees in common law (LLB) and civil law (BCL) with honours from McGill University (1983), and graduated magna cum laude with his AB in History and Literature from Harvard University (1979). An International Law scholar who represented Western Europe and North America on the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances from 2002-2007, Professor Toope’s academic interests include public international law, legal theory, human rights, international dispute resolution, and family law.

Written by: Zhao Ning
Edited by: Liu Lu
Sources: Office of International Relations, PKU, Wikipedia, The University of British Columbia (on-line)