By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

Twenty-three university presidents from the U.S. and China discussed higher education issues such as the cultivation of talent and international cooperation at the US-China University Presidents Roundtable on November 16 at Tsinghua University. The delegation of U.S. University Presidents was led by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell.

Mr. Zhou Ji, China’s Minister of Education, had a talk with Secretary Spellings and Assistant Secretary Powell. Vice Minister of Education Mr. Zhang Xinsheng, Tsinghua University President Gu Binglin, and Tsinghua University Vice President Xie Weihe also participated in the talk.

The signing ceremony to mark officially the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Education of the United States of America and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China on Further Expanding Cooperation and Exchanges in the Field of Education was held in the Main Building of Tsinghua University prior to the Roundtable. Mr. Zhou Ji and Secretary Spellings signed the MOU.

The Roundtable itself was held in the Reception Hall of the Main Building. Mr. Zhou Ji and Secretary Spelling opened the roundtable with brief speeches. Mr. Zhou Ji talked about the development of higher education in China. He indicated the Ministry of Education will support cooperation between U.S. and Chinese universities. Secretary Spellings stressed the importance of international education and exchange. Tsinghua President Gu Binglin extended a warm welcome to the presidents and emphasized the responsibility of the universities in world development. The presidents exchanged ideas on the internationalization and globalization of higher education, university development, talent cultivation, and joint-education during the day’s discussions.

Attending the meeting:

Twelve U.S. university presidents attended the meeting: Professor Adam W. Herbert, President of Indiana University; Professor Henry T. Yang, Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Professor William Brody, President of Johns Hopkins University; Professor H. James Owen, President of Piedmont Community College; Professor John B. Simpson, President of The State University of New York at Buffalo; Professor Karen A. Holbrook, President of Ohio State University; Professor Steadman Upham, President of the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma; Professor Stephen M. Curtis, President of the Community College of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania;  Professor Philip W. Eaton, President of Seattle Pacific University in Washington; Professor Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York State; Professor David W. Leebron, President of Rice University in Houston, Texas; and Professor Bernard Machen, President of the University of Florida. University presidents from China included: Gu Binglin, Tsinghua University President; Professor Xu Zhihong, President of Peking University; Professor Hong Yinxing, Chairman of the Nanjing University Council; Professor Yang Wei, President of Zhejiang University; Professor Ji Baocheng, President of Renmin University; Professor Chen Zhangliang, President of the Chinese Agricultural University; Professor Liu Jingnan, President of Wuhan University; and Professor Zhong Binglin, President of Beijing Normal University, Professor Shen Changyu, President of Zhengzhou University, Professor Liu Aiju, Chairman of Beijing Polytechnic College Council, and Professor Wang Jianhua, President of Tianjin Engineering Technical Institute.

(Photo By Guo Haijun)