Educators and administrators from a Chinese university will get an inside look at a like-minded peer institution when they visit West Virginia University next week (July 22-26).
A delegation from the China University for Mining and Technology-Xuzhou will tour WVU facilities, and engage with administrators and educators on topics that include curriculum development, research and strategic planning.
“This visit is primarily to offer CUMT an understanding of how American universities are operated and managed, including academics, research, and extension,” said Qingyun Sun, associate director of WVU’s US-China Energy Center.”
“CUMT is one of the leading universities in China on energy resources, and that is the key for CUMT and WVU to form a partnership, so an overview of energy research and education will be beneficial for both institutions,” Sun added.
Highlights of the delegation’s visit will include tours of research laboratories in WVU’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and sessions on building research capacity and developing online education.
The delegation includes key leadership figures from university and school levels, including CUMT Vice President Aishu Zhang.
On Tuesday, July 23, the group will attend a keynote address by WVU Provost Michele Wheatly and Jose “Zito” Sartarelli, chief global officer for the university and dean of the College of Business and Economics.
Sartarelli described the budding relationship as “very important for both universities.”
“In this interconnected world of ours, we need to reach out,” Sartarelli said. “The ability to connect with institutions of higher learning around the world can create better understanding, cultural appreciation, and collaborations that promote educational and research opportunities for both of our universities.”
CUMT, with one campus in Xuzhou and another in Beijing, is the oldest center of higher learning that focuses on mining in China with more than 100 years of history. Its Xuzhou campus has more than 40,000 students, and its Beijing campus has more than 11,000 students.
WVU and CUMT’s Beijing campus entered into a research agreement in 2010. The pact commits the institutions to work together on issues arising from fossil fuel use, especially coal.
