December 5, 2008

Chinese educators to learn university administration from Purdue

The weeklong program will focus on such topics as strategic planning, faculty and staff recruitment, and assessment and retention, according to the Office of International Programs, which is arranging the visit.

"Purdue considers Ningbo University not only a partner in higher education collaborations, but also as its global friend," said Patrice Elaine Bland, director of global engagement with International Programs. "Purdue's collaboration with Ningbo University ties in with Purdue's new strategic plan, which calls for building new synergies through global learning, global discovery and global engagement.

"Ningbo students take classes at Purdue and our students travel to Ningbo on a summer study abroad program which has become a signature program. There are also numerous collaborations between Ningbo and Purdue professors which can be used to describe a model global partnership with impact because of the sustainable positive contributions to Purdue faculty and students."

Purdue and Ningbo have nurtured a relationship since 2005 through an endowment from Purdue alumna Anna Pao Sohmen, who received her bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1966. A distinguished business and political leader as well as a patron of the arts in Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Purdue in 2003.

Sohmen's endowment has enabled 80 students from Purdue's colleges of Liberal Arts and Engineering to visit Ningbo University for study abroad programs since 2005. At the same time, Purdue has had 11 students from Ningbo University for one-semester exchange programs.

Ningbo University was established in 1986 by funds donated by shipping magnate Yue-Kong Pao, father of Sohmen. The Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue is named after him.

Ningbo University consists of 19 departments and colleges and offers 65 bachelor's programs and 56 master's programs. The university has 23,000 full-time undergraduate students, 700 postgraduates and a teaching and administrative staff of 2,400.

This fall, Purdue has 991 Chinese students and 223 Chinese faculty members. Among the overall international student population of 5,500 at Purdue, Chinese students are the second largest group after Indian students.

Writer: Soumitro Sen, 765-496-9711, ssen@purdue.edu

Source: Patrice Elaine Bland, 494-9399, peb@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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