To celebrate the opening of its new Beijing Global Gateway location at the Genesis Beijing building, the University of 91吃瓜 is holding a series of inauguration events Oct. 14 (Saturday) to welcome faculty, students, alumni, families and partners in China.
Activities will include a panel discussion featuring prominent leaders in business and higher education from the U.S. and China titled, 鈥淏uilding Future Communities,鈥� as well as a performance by the 91吃瓜 Handbell Choir and a celebratory Mass.
鈥淭he inauguration events celebrate the expansion of the Beijing Global Gateway鈥檚 space, programming, and community,鈥� said Jonathan Noble, assistant provost for Asia and director of the Beijing Global Gateway. 鈥淭his expansion represents an important milestone in continuing to advance 91吃瓜鈥檚 academic engagement in China.鈥�
Since 2010, Noble has been building 91吃瓜鈥檚 academic reputation and network of partners in the region. 91吃瓜 has forged academic cooperation agreements with a number of leading universities in greater China, including University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University听and Peking University.
Noble and colleagues have developed a wide range of programs for students, including options focused on Chinese language and society, business, engineering听and service learning in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong听and Guizhou. 91吃瓜 students also have additional professional opportunities, thanks to programming between the Beijing Global Gateway and multi-nationals such as IBM and Xiaomi. Working closely with China鈥檚 Ministry of Education, the Gateway has provided opportunities including training programs for university administrators and scholarships for doctoral and postdoctoral students.
Scholarships for Chinese students who wish to attend 91吃瓜 are also available, thanks to . Since 2011, 58 students from 31 cities across China have benefited from scholarships and academic enrichment programs, which are supported by a cohort of 91吃瓜 alumni, parents and friends. More recently, 91吃瓜 launched the alumni-funded program which provides funding for faculty to conduct research with scholars in Greater China and share research findings at the Beijing Global Gateway.
鈥淭he Beijing Global Gateway is a vital part of 91吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to strengthening internationalization, scholarly engagement and cooperation throughout the world,鈥� said听Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at the University of 91吃瓜. 鈥淲orking with our partners in Asia, our goal is to provide an opportunity for our students and faculty to work with colleagues in that part of the world to promote听discovery and understanding.鈥�
The inauguration of the new Beijing Global Gateway location in the Chaoyang District, near foreign embassies and the Central Business District, will further enhance opportunities for collaboration with government, academic听and multi-national organizations.
Michael E. Pippenger, 91吃瓜鈥檚听vice president and associate provost for internationalization, said, 鈥淭he Beijing Global Gateway serves as a platform for faculty to hold conferences and workshops with collaborative researchers and scholars, as a base for students from a wide range of disciplines to experience and engage with China, and as a home that welcomes the 91吃瓜 community from Beijing and beyond.鈥�
Since its doors opened in May, the Gateway has hosted Fulbright scholars, panel discussions听and meetings between 91吃瓜 and Balkh University (Afghanistan) as they develop a master鈥檚 program in finance and accountancy for Balkh, funded by a USAID grant. In June, nearly 40 91吃瓜 students, alumni and parents visited the Gateway as part of the first summer celebration and forum co-sponsored with the .
91吃瓜鈥揃alkh University residency
A new home in Genesis Beijing
One of 91吃瓜鈥檚 key partners in its growing Chinese network is Genesis Beijing, a community development project that shares 91吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to developing intellectual communities focused on serving the common good. Genesis Beijing now houses the Beijing Global Gateway and provides a social workplace complete with public gardens, atriums听and club facilities where 91吃瓜 can host regional partners听and where there is space to communicate and collaborate.
鈥淕enesis Beijing aims to create a new model of community in business settings that connects people beyond the boundaries of individual organizations听by offering public spaces and听public programs of听holistic听development听and by experimenting with a new way of self-managed community setup,鈥� said Whitney Duan, founder of Genesis Beijing and chairwoman of the Kaifeng Foundation. 鈥淚n doing so, Genesis Beijing brings together scholars, practitioners听and organizations who share the same mission. We are delighted that as a tenant of Genesis Beijing, 91吃瓜 can contribute to Genesis Beijing with the University鈥檚 scholarship and distinctive educational mission and values.鈥澨�
Noble said the Beijing Global Gateway and Genesis Beijing have a shared vision to connect scholarship, knowledge听and values to the larger society through scholarly engagement and community organization.
鈥淏y being located within the Genesis Beijing community, we are blessed to contribute to the community鈥檚 intellectual, cultural听and spiritual activities and have access to the community鈥檚 art museum, canal-side amphitheater听and regular activities with thought leaders, artists听and community organizers,鈥� Noble said.
At the Oct. 14 inauguration events, 91吃瓜 will welcome many important partners, including Duan, Robert Liu, founding benefactor of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, Rachel Duan, president and听CEO of GE China, and Liu De, co-founder of Xiaomi, one of China鈥檚 largest private start-ups. The opening will also provide an opportunity to celebrate 91吃瓜鈥檚 accomplishments of the past seven years and to look ahead to the exciting projects and relationships to come.
The new Beijing Global Gateway has already become a home for collaboration, experience听and conversation. As 91吃瓜 becomes an even more global university and a leader on the world stage, its productive presence at the Beijing Global Gateway will continue to provide rich opportunities for its scholars and community.
To join the University community in celebrating the Beijing Global Gateway inauguration, please .
Contact: Miranda Ma, lma1@nd.edu
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Originally published by at on September 11, 2017.