RICHARDSON, Texas (Oct. 15, 2002) - A group of high-ranking educators from top universities in China, who will embark on a tour of leading U.S. universities later this month, will visit some of their Texas counterparts at a meeting here on Oct. 28. The site will be The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).

    The visitors, sponsored by China's Ministry of Education, have scheduled stops at Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University and the University of Southern California, in addition to UTD, during their two-week stay in the U.S. The purpose of the trip is to explore opportunities for greater teaching and research collaborations among universities in China and the U.S.

    "I am delighted that this group of senior administrators from these prestigious Chinese universities have chosen to come to Texas, and UTD is honored to be its local host," said Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, UTD's vice president for research and graduate education. "This meeting potentially has broad and profound implications for higher education in Texas well beyond UTD, as evidenced by the roster of Texas universities that will be represented."

    Key senior research administrators from nine Texas educational institutions are expected to meet with the Chinese delegation in day-long sessions at UTD. Those institutions include Rice University, Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Tech University, the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center and the University of Houston, in addition to UTD.

    On the second day of their Dallas stay, Oct. 29, the Chinese educators will visit Texas Instruments and Dallas-based law firm Haynes and Boone LLP.

    "American research universities are the envy of the world," said Feng. "However, after 25 years of steady growth, research universities in China are producing an increasing number of well-educated, well-trained graduates who will fuel the economic growth of that country in the 21st century. Collaboration between and among these universities promises to advance our collective knowledge and may prove to be a catalyst for improved understanding between our two countries during this uncertain but exciting period of history."

    Members of the Chinese delegation include:

Sheng Huanye, professor and vice president, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Lin Jianhua, professor, vice president and provost, Peking University
Zheng Junli, professor and vice president, Beijing Normal University
Zhang Yihua, professor and vice president, Fudan University
Zheng Xiaojing, professor and vice president, Lanzhou University
Shi Jianjun, professor and vice president, Nanjing University
Guan Naijia, professor and assistant to the president, Nankai University
Yu Zhigang, professor and vice president, Ocean University of Qingdao
Zhou Deming, associate professor and vice president, Shaanxi Normal University
Chen Zhaofang, professor and vice president, Wuhan University
Xu Jun, Division of International Cooperation and Exchange, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

    A UTD alumnus, Dr. Yi Zhao, senior director of research and development at Futurewei Technologies, Inc., of Plano, Texas, was instrumental in the delegation's decision to visit Texas, said UTD's Feng. Zhao is a former student of the coordinator of the Chinese visit, Professor Huanye of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

About UTD

     The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's Web site at www.utdallas.edu.