At the invitation of Michael Young, President of Texas A & M University, and Jay Gogue, President of Auburn University, OUC President Yu Zhigang visited the two universities in the United States and had fruitful meetings with the long-term partners on strategic cooperation and how to develop the Joint Research Center. Visiting with President Yu were professors and leaders from the College of Ocean and Atmosphere, Fisheries College, College of Liberal Arts, Journalism and Communication, OUC International Office, and Confucius Institute.
OUC delegation visited TAMU on November 28. In the work meeting, both presidents attached great importance to the successful cooperation in the past years and the all-round strategic cooperation, They agreed to set up a work group for more systematic cooperation in the future and exchanged ideas on a joint research center of Pan Ocean and Environment as well as the joint education of undergraduates and postgraduates. As it was the first time to meet, President Yu congratulated his counterpart on taking the office of TAMU Presidency in 2015 before inviting him to visit OUC at his convenience. President Young thanked OUC for supporting the Confucius Institute and agreed to renew the next 5-year agreement.
Presidents of OUC and TAMU
Work meeting
On the afternoon of November 28, OUC delegation met with the leaders and professors of oceanography and atmospheric science of TAMU College of Geosciences for the joint education of undergraduates and postgraduates as well as establishing the joint research center. Prof. Dong Shuanglin introduced how to orient the education and disciplines in OUC Huangdao Campus to be under construction very soon. Prof. Lin Xiaopei shared his ideas on joint training of talents and extending cooperative researches from oceanography to more areas. Schedule was worked out to promote the joint center effectively. OUC delegation also visited the well-known Integrated Ocean Discovery Program based in TAMU and its storehouse of cores.
The delegation visited the OUC faculty in the Confucius Institute and took part in the CI Board of Directors annual meeting. As the Chinese partner school of TAMU CI, OUC has well functioned in the past 8 years as a platform and base to boost Chinese language and Chinese culture as well as bridge Sino-US exchange and cooperation in education and humanity especially between TAMU and OUC. In recognition of CI achievement, President Yu said that OUC will channel resources to the academic symposium and joint publication of children’s literature for better cooperation in humanities between TAMU and OUC. Yu also encouraged the Confucius Institute to enhance its own characteristics.
President Yu (4th right) with CI faculty after CI Board of Directors annual meeting
On November 29th, OUC delegation left TAMU College Station Campus for Houston-Atlanta flight and visited Auburn University on 30th for deeper cooperation and unveiling the Joint Research Center for Aquaculture and Environmental Sciences.
In the work meeting, President Yu and AU Provost Tim Boosinger reviewed the long-term cooperation before agreeing to expand it into life science and engineering technology from the previous fields of aquaculture and environmental sciences. After the meeting, the unveiling ceremony was held for OUC-AU Joint Center for Aquaculture and Environmental Sciences. Yu said that the unveiling of the Center signified a new page of OUC-AU cooperation and he he expected it to play a unique role in aquaculture innovation and talent education as well as Sino-US cooperation in aquaculture-related education, research and industrial development to benefit people of the two countries and the human society. Prof. John Liu and Prof. Dong Shuanglin, American and Chinese Directors of the Center, reviewed the historical cooperation while AU professors briefed their researches and cooperation with OUC in the hope of the broad prospect of the Center. Before the work meeting, OUC delegation met with the new dean of AU College of Agriculture and the professors for further research cooperation on the basis of educating postgraduates together with OUC Fisheries College by having seminars on regular basis in OUC and AU respectively.
Work meeting
Unveiling ceremony of Joint Center
The delegation also visited the OUC students working at AU and had a meeting with them on their life and study. President Yu asked them whether they do physical exercise regularly, what their research focuses and interests are, and encouraged them to apply for the National Science Fund for Young Scholars and return to China after they graduate. Caring very much about their alma mater, the students asked about the planning of the new campus and the application procedures for the candidates. OUC and Auburn boast long-term history of students exchange and faculty cooperation, with about 100 PhD candidates educated and being educated.
OUC delegation and students at Auburn University
The delegation also visited EASL Classroom (Engaged Active Student Learning) at Auburn University. It changed the conventional pattern of passive learning as the mobile chairs, HD projectors and the touch screens on the walls wired to internet all contribute to the blended learning and flipped classroom as well as the group learning and result demonstration.
By Song Wenhong
Translated By Liang Hong
