China – U.S. Forum for University DesignRoundtable of Public University Presidents

Social Embeddedness and Regional Economic Development

Chengdu, ChinaJune 1-2, 2005

Wednesday, June 1

Plenary Session – China-U.S. Forum on University DesignSichuan University, Jiang An Campus

Vice Minister of Education Wu Qidi opened the forum by welcoming the U.S. delegates and recounting her trip to ASU in 2004. She praised Sichuan University and all the Chinese and U.S. University leaders attending, and she explained her interest in the New American University concept. She also praised Michael Crow as a social activist and transformer.

Vice Minister Wu discussed the appropriateness of Sichuan University as a venue, since Phoenix and Chengdu are sister cities. She noted that, while there are many similarities between the two cities, on the whole, American and Chinese cities and their universities are very different. She emphasized that China is a relatively recent arrival on the world stage of higher education.

While there has been a quick expansion of both higher education and science research and development in China, there is still a need for more high-tech and interdisciplinary studies, she said. Moreover, universities need to be restructured to play a more significant role in local economic development. According to Wu, American universities, specifically ASU and Dr. Crow’s vision for a “New American University,” serve as a model for the rejuvenation and redevelopment that Chinese institutions must undergo in the near future. Adult education and community colleges, as well as high-level research universities, each must play a role if the overall system is to be successful. Wu described the Ministry of Education’s 211

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program, which seeks to build 100 research-grade universities for the 21st century, as well as the 987 program, which targets 10 of these 100 to reach world-class status (Sichuan University is among these 10). Wu pointed out, however, that even as China’s research universities build themselves up, it is essential that these new universities have a local orientation. Wu went on to say that the professional education system in China needs to be improved and that some educational institutions should also be run by non-government sectors, which have yet to be fully developed. This conference, Wu said, is a chance to exchange ideas on how to diversify the structure of and tackle the many problems in China’s higher education system.

Full Text of the Speech Delivered by Vice Minister Wu Qidi

“This seminar is sponsored by the Ministry of Education, hosted by Sichuan University, and co-hosted by Arizona State University. We really appreciate the careful, orderly, and efficient preparation by Sichuan University that guarantees the success of this seminar. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I would also like to give my special thanks to Arizona State University. Arizona State University has placed great importance to the cooperation and friendship with Chinese universities. They successfully invited some prestigious U.S. public research universities here and took great initiative to help organize this seminar. I am showing my sincere thanks to all.

The theme of this seminar is ‘Public Universities and the Development of Local Economy.’ The purpose is to establish a platform for international education exchange, mutual understanding, and communication between public universities in China and in the U.S. I hope this seminar will provide an unprecedented opportunity for both to open dialogues, share strategic planning, and discuss how public universities can serve the social economy under this historical period, so that they can fulfill the win-win objective of mutual development and prosperity.

Given the historical, cultural, and traditional differences, research public universities in China and the U.S play different roles in their respective education systems. They also differ regarding their developing phases and the modes serving the public. In China, public universities are the majority while private universities just start to gain visibility. Despite the long history of public research universities, it is not until recently that they take on a new role and receive more attention. Therefore, I hope all the discussion can take the differences into consideration, offering suggestions to facilitate the communication between two sides for an ultimate win-win deal.

Ever since the birth of higher education, especially for the 25 years after China’s opening up to the outside world, the matriculation ratio of university access against the college age

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groups increased to 19% in 2004. The development of higher education plays a vital role in our pursuit of sustainable development, a well-off society, and the prosperity of our country through education and technology.

Recent years has also witnessed the rapid expansion of higher education scale and the breakthrough in higher education reforms. The optimized discipline system and the increased research ability helped higher education develop more efficiently and effectively with high quality.

To adapt to the adjusted economic structure in China, to meet the demands from both the domestic labor market and international competition, and to develop high and new technology and applied disciplines, we have launched strategic plans to restructure the curriculum design and discipline departmentation. The current academic structure covers 11 disciplines, including philosophy, economics, laws, education, literature, history, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and management. There are 71 sub-divisions and 249 undergraduate majors. We prioritize high and new technology disciplines, such as information technology, life science, and new materials at undergraduate level. We also prioritize those disciplines urgently needed by China’s entry into WTO, including finance, law, and trade. In addition, we put high preference to the applied majors that have close links to the local and regional economic development.

After more than one century’s development, China’s higher education welcomed the massification of higher education in 2002, with 15% of the college age group having access to colleges and universities. However, there is still a long way to go. While amazed by the rapid expansion of higher education in recent years, we need to pay attention to the problems caused. We need to continuously pursue the balanced relationship between administration structure, education scale, quality, and benefit.

Given the low starting point of productivity level, high objective, and unbalanced distribution of social economic situation, we have proposed a multi-level and diversified higher education development strategy. On the one hand, we should accelerate the massification of higher education, provide a variety of higher education institutions and establish a life-long education system. On the other hand, we need to improve the higher learning institutions and aim to build world-class prestigious universities.

China’s higher education is planned to be as follows with different levels and diversified institutions.

From the perspective of discipline coverage, our higher education is planned to include comprehensive research universities, discipline-oriented, and specialty-oriented universities. As for the functions of universities, they can be categorized into teaching institutions and

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research institutions. By nature universities will include liberal arts colleges, high level vocational and technical institutions, and all kinds of private institutions. Different universities have individual focus either on undergraduate education, graduate education, or associate degree education; They will provide either degree education or non-degree education (includes adult education and continuous education) or both.

In the 1990s, comprehensive reforms were launched in higher education. A group of comprehensive research universities were formed through merging or amalgamation. The newly formed comprehensive universities enjoy a wide range of disciplines covering medicine. In doing so, we conquered the drawback caused by excessively divided courses and absence of general education, thus promoting the development of trans-disciplines and inter-disciplines. However, the reforms gave rise to one big problem when all colleges strived for the same model to become comprehensive research universities and removed the diversification in higher education institutions, which was detrimental to higher education in China.

Several aspects need to receive more attention in our higher education development. Firstly, we are determined to build a certain number of world-class universities with outstanding research ability. Today’s world is characterized by astounding science and technology progress. With the coming of knowledge economy, nations are confronted with increasingly tense competition. As a result, the future competition essentially depends on competition for hi-tech competition and high-quality workforce. The modernization of China is largely determined by whether there are a considerable number of world-class universities. These universities are responsible for providing high-level human resources, technological innovation, hi-tech industrialization, and social science prosperity.

These universities should fulfill their key responsibilities in conducing fundamental research, applied research, and hi-tech industrialization. Based on the present domestic situation and the status quo of our higher education, we need to build 30 such universities, ten of which are aimed to enter the list of world top universities

Secondly, we are to build a group of teaching and research universities with specific individual strengths. They are distinctive in terms of education mode, campus culture, advantageous disciplines, and regional features. Only through such a group of universities can higher education become more creative and prosperous. According to our blueprint, there should be about 100 universities in this group, mainly represented by those with graduate schools and those under ‘the 211 Project.’ We establish this objective considering the status quo of individual universities, disciplines features, regional layout, and the need of local, industrial, and economic development.

Thirdly, we will establish vocational higher learning institutions responsive to the job market.

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China needs badly a great quantity of human resource with specialized knowledge and applied skills. These vocational institutions will meet the needs by industry, agriculture, and service industry. The graduates from these universities will possess not only theoretical knowledge but also strong practical skills urgently demanded by economic and social development.

Fourthly, higher education should give more attention to teaching, so as to meet the various need of higher education massification, including general tertiary colleges, adult education institutions, community colleges, and liberal arts colleges. Meanwhile, we are going to improve lifelong education.

Finally, we will encourage private education to diversify and expand the funding resources of higher education.

Since China adopted the reform and opening policy, higher education has enjoyed increased international exchange with other countries. So far, China has established cooperation with more than 1,000 universities all over the world. We have singed agreements to mutually recognize higher education degrees with German, France, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. These efforts have significantly improved the internationalization of higher education in China.

During the past 26 years after the establishment of formal diplomatic relationship between China and the States in January 1979, Sino-US education exchange and cooperation has enjoyed steady improvement. Non-governmental organizations become increasingly active, with larger scale and wider cooperation areas. At present, the Sino-U.S. education communication and cooperation is a very important part in China’s outward education communication.

Under the framework of governmental protocols, there emerges a variety of university partnership between China and the U.S. The cooperation has improved from general inter-university academic exchange to specific joint programs. The cooperation involves a wide range of areas from natural science, engineering, and humanity and social sciences. The modes of communication include visiting scholars or delegations, collaborated projects, joint degree programs, international conferences and instruction materials.

As the leader in higher education, the U.S. has enjoyed high quality education resources, with her unique education concept and education mode. China’s higher education needs to learn from America. Although the past years have witnessed great improvement in all aspects of higher education communication and cooperation between these two countries, I believe, on the basis of win-win relationship, there is a lot more to do to further our cooperation and exchange at a higher level. I would like to call for more efforts from

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university presidents on both sides to discuss in-depth cooperation. For one thing, we need to enhance the cooperation between prestigious universities or between strong programs. In this way we can start collaborated research activities and combine it with fostering high-skill talents. For another purpose, we should strengthen the discussion and research in education concept and mode in order to facilitate the cooperation in cultivating innovative talents.

I wish the seminar a complete success and good health to all!”

Vice Governor of Sichuan Province Zhang Zuoha then addressed the audience, providing a brief history of Sichuan University, Sichuan province, and the rapid development of both during Deng Xiaoping’s and the post-Deng reform periods.

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Full Text of the Speech Delivered by Vice Governor Zhang

“Presidents, Leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen: Today is the opening of the China-U.S. Forum on University Design sponsored by Ministry of Education, hosted by Sichuan University and co-hosted by Arizona State University. On behalf of Sichuan Provincial Government, I want to extend my warmest welcome to all of the university presidents from China and the U.S. who participate in the conference. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the university presidents and the administrators from Ministry of Education for your support and contribution to the social economic development of Sichuan. Meanwhile, I avail myself of this opportunity to share with you a brief introduction of Sichuan Province.

Sichuan Province, abbreviated as Chuan or Shu, is located in southwest China at the upper course of Changjiang River. As a hinterland province, it covers a vase area of 484,100 square kilometers, with a population of 87,246,000 (as of the end of 2004), composed of 53 ethnic groups. With Chengdu as its capital, Sichuan Province includes altogether 21 cities and 177 counties. Primarily a mountainous and plateaus region, Sichuan Province shares a great variety in its topography, with more than 60% of its area being 1000 meters above the sea level, 5.3% being plains (Chengdu Plain amounts to over 8,000 square meters in area, making it the largest plain in the southwest China), 12.9% being undulating plain, 77.1% being mountainous area, and 4.7% being plateau. Sichuan, with a large number of rivers, is rich in water resources. Located in a subtropical area, it enjoys a pleasant and humid climate with an average temperature of 16 to 18 degrees and an average precipitation rate of 1000 to 1400 millimeters per year.

Among the 12 provinces or autonomous regions in west China, Sichuan Province ranks at the top in terms of several social economic indicators, including population, gross domestic product, gross industry product, foreign investment, balance of loan and deposit, household deposit balance, and total retail amount of consumer products. As one of the key economic, cultural, and transportation centers in west China, Sichuan Province also serves as the most important center for commerce and trade, science and technology, and telecommunication. The current economic situation of Sichuan Province has the following characteristics:

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First, a relatively solid foundation and high-level advancement in economic development and industrialization

Thanks to the initial industrial constructions at the outset of the new China, the key-project constructions of large heavy-industry during the ‘Third-line construction’ period, and the enormous development since the reform and open policies, Sichuan has accumulated a wealth of technologies and expertise in fundamental industries, mechanical manufacturing industry, and national defense industry and has become a province with fairly comprehensive industries in China. Products from Sichuan, either traditional or some current hi-tech ones, boast a strong competitive capability in market and claim quite large market shares, which somehow have become the core competitiveness and the major propeller of industrial and economical development. Five pillar industries (hydroelectric, electronic information, metallurgy, pharmaceutical, and beverage), and eight industrial bases (hydroelectric energy source, electronic information, domestic manufacture of significant technical equipments, specific steels and new materials like vanadium and titanium, technological modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, natural gas, and beverage), are being emerged gradually now in Sichuan. Its color TVs and some IT products have relatively strong competitive edge, and capture pretty large market shares in China–and its branded alcohols and tobaccos enjoy obvious superiority in traditional consumer products market. The white liquor industry has four national name brands. There are more than ten large export enterprises, including Sichuan Changhong Group, Silk Company, Pang Steel Co, Foreign Trade Group, Leshan Phoenix Corporation, the Eastern Electronic Group, the Wuliangye Group. Through comparing market shares and the market competition superiority index, obvious superiority exist in the areas of electronic information, special purpose equipment manufacturing, ordinary equipment manufacturing, beverage, tobacco manufacturing, petroleum and natural gas production, special materials etc. Moreover, according to the definition for the various industrialization phases in China by GDP per capita, Sichuan has already entered a phase of economic soaring.

Second, a competitive edge with a rapid development in human resource, science technology and high-tech industry

Currently, Sichuan has 68 regular institutes of higher learning with 42,000 graduate students (nearly 9,000 doctoral students). 1.2 million professionals in various fields and 2 million are involved in technological activities. There are 54 fellows from the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, which rank first in the west of China (rank 4th nationwide, behind Beijing, Shanghai, and Jiangsu). Sichuan is an important technology province and the home base of science and technology in the nation. It has established 14 national-class laboratories, 55 provincial-class laboratories, 7 national-class engineering technology centers, and 24 provincial-class engineering technology centers. It also has Chengdu and Mianyang High New Technology Industry Development Zones,

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Chendu National-class Economic Industry Development Zone, and Deyang High Technology Industry Park. These high new technology industry development zones have laid important foundations for the developments of high new technology industries and new emerging industries in electronic information, bio-tech drug industries, and new material industries. Sichuan had 678 high new technology enterprises by the end of the Ninth Five-Year period, in which more than 70 have over 100 million Yuan annual productions. In 2004 there are 95 billion Yuan realization output value in the high new technology enterprise industry and 16 billion Yuan in profits and taxes. Besides, Sichuan has many military industries and has an outstanding achievement in converting these important technologies to civil use. For instance, Mianyang Rainbow Electronic Company, which is the largest base of color television in China, has made a huge impact to the society’s economics, science, and technology development. Based on the principle of ‘advancement in all areas and breakthrough in key areas,’ special attention is focused on developing the ten high technology industries including the modern Chinese medicine, life technology, and new medicine industries.

Third, types and combinations of mineral resources demonstrating Sichuan characteristics

Sichuan is endowed with rich mineral resources. It has more than 132 kinds of proven underground mineral resources, of which 12 minerals including vanadium, titanium, lithium, silver, and natural gas rank first nationwide; 11 minerals including iron, cadmium, and bromine rank second; and 5 minerals including zinc and beryllium rank third (the reserves of 12 kinds of colored mental minerals have been proven). Now 18 minerals including iron, vanadium, manganese, lead, zinc, copper, and natural gas have been extracted in considerable scale. Sichuan has good mineral resources of iron, vanadium, and titanium with high quality. The Panxi region possesses 13% of the reserves of iron, 69% of vanadium, and 93% of titanium nationwide, which has a very strong development potential. According to the estimation from experts, Sichuan province’s 45 kinds of proven reserve minerals have approximately potential value of 6.5 billion Yuan. Furthermore, Sichuan basin’s natural gas has a proven reserve of 554,593 x 108 cubic meters, a control reserve of 148,785 x 108 cubic meters, a forecast reserve of 167,928 x 108 cubic meters, a standard reserve of 214,548 x 108 cubic meters, accumulate quantity of 143,884 x 108 cubic meters, and remaining quantity of 214,548 x 108 cubic meters. Sichuan ranks first in the proven reserves and mineral productions, approximately accounting for 33.8% and 33.7% of the national output, thus holding a strategic position in the nation. In addition, there is proof that Sichuan basin’s natural gas development has great prospect and contains great potential resources.

Fourth, a well developed infrastructure and type of tourist resource demonstrating Sichuan characteristics

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Sichuan Province has 174,000 kilometers of fiberoptics, 526,000 long distance transmission lines, 3,400,000 local telephone exchanges, and 2,540,000 households with Internet subscriptions. By the end of 2004, there were 11,217,000 users of post and telecommunication networks and 12,429,000 users of mobile phones. The percentage of telephone usage in the province has reached 28.1%. By the end of 2004 there were 113,000 kilometers of accessible roadway, with 11,000 kilometers of first and second-class roadways and more than 1,500 kilometers of freeways, ranked first in western China and 6th

nationwide. There were also 2,867 kilometers of accessible railroads. The tourist resources are plentiful and of good quality in Sichuan. Sichuan has the most world-class nature heritage legacies in China. Three world nature legacies are located in Sichuan (ranking first in the country). It is one of the provinces with most national and provincial scenic attractions. It has 75 national and provincial scenic attractions (including 9 national class scenic attractions), more than 40 key national culture treasures preservation centers, 31 national and provincial historical culture monuments, 37 national and provincial nature reservations, and 268 provincial culture treasures preservation centers. Besides, there are local historical culture monuments (about 15), 64 museums, memorial halls, exhibition halls, and numerous small nature parks and attractions. Overall, Sichuan has beautiful nature attractions, long history, and lots of tourist resources. Among them are ancient Shu culture, Three Kingdom culture, religious culture, local culture, and folk culture, each with their own attractions. Jiuzhaigou – Huanglong, Ermei Shan – Leshan Buddha statue, Dujiangyan – Qingcheng Shan are listed by the United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization in the ‘List of the World Nature Legacy’ and the ‘List of World Natural Culture Legacy.’ The famous Shanxingdui preserve the essence of the ancient Ba-Shu culture; the Mosuo culture is the most typical matriarchal family model in the world; the world’s only Liangshan Yi tribe slave culture; and lots of undeveloped tourist resources and man-made attractions. (For example, Chuanxi plateau Buddhism culture, Qiang tribe folk culture, the Daoist origin Daya Heming Shan and Xichang satellite launch site, Ertan power station, Panzhihua steel base, etc.)

The theme of this forum is ‘Chinese Public University Design and Regional Economic Development,’ which we think is appropriate. In order to develop higher education and institution, it is necessary to focus on the market and to benefit the regional economy and social development. The higher Institution is the outgrowth of the historical development as well as the consequence of the educational development required by the social advancement. Therefore, education must serve the society, taking the initiative to improve the development of social productivity and to bring about a great advance in technology. By nurturing talents and producing research findings, education can promote economic and social developments. The higher institution should walk the road that is closed associated with the economy, technology, and society. This is an objective requirement for today’s China and a necessity for the development of the institution itself. Higher education provides a strong technological support to the regional economic development. At the meantime the

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rapid development of regional economy offers great return to the institution, increasing its ability to revitalize itself and giving more opportunities for science research. The partnership between Sichuan province and Sichuan University is the best example.

After the establishment of Communism, Sichuan University undertook and completed more than 1,000 cases involving the innovation of technology and the development of pillar industry. The school also realized the industrialization of more than 100 nation-sponsored research achievements in the province, in which the ‘Ecosystem and Prairie Degeneration Management Technology’ has a managing area of 50,000 acres, resulting in a four-fold increase in grass production and a 40% increase in the model district’s herdsman’s harvest and realizing 300 million Yuan of social economy benefit. Undergraduate enrollment accounts for 40% of the total enrollment in Sichuan University. Master and Doctoral students account for one third of the total Sichuan province enrollment in higher institutions, contributing greatly to Sichuan’s economic and social developments. Meanwhile, under the supports of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan province, and Chengdu City, Sichuan University has build up 3,000 acres of new campus, having 15 national key disciplines, 14 national key laboratories, and seven national engineering research centers. It has also established 17 technological innovation platforms and centers, composing a complete technological innovation system. This has created a win-win situation for both Sichuan province and Sichuan University.

The pace of development in Sichuan is not too remarkable. It was 11.8 % in 2004 and was 13.2 % in the first quarter of this year. The pace of development that we aim for the following 10 years is above 9% each year. To keep up with the pace, we rely on outstanding human resources and technologies. As a result, the higher institution, especially the research-oriented university, can contribute significantly to the local economic development. Based upon the demands for high-level and multi-specification human resources resulting from the economic and social developments, we hope the research-oriented university will further regulate its academic and specialty structure, innovate its professional training patterns, course systems, teaching contents, and pedagogies, and increase the quality and quantity of professionals. We also work hard on matching the set-up of academic professions with the market’s demands and students’ aspiration in order to create a good circle to recruit, train, and obtain employment. We have to set up, in particular, the applied professional subjects, such as region-orientated industries, high-tech, service, tele-com, hydro, new material, modernization of Chinese medicine, bioengineering, and environmental protection. This is also the solution to reduce unemployment rate of graduates.

We are going to take the opportunity of the ‘China-US Public University President Forum’ to learn the advanced experiences of yours and to introduce superior resources of education. We hope to work hand-in-hand in professional training, technological research achievement, etc. We will continue to follow the guideline of ‘assisting principally by policies’ to support

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you wholeheartedly as we always do. At last, I congratulate beforehand on the success of this conference. Thank you!”

Ge Honglin, Mayor of the city of Chengdu, then welcomed the forum to his city. He emphasized his appreciation for the theme of the forum and recognized the major strategic significance of relationships among universities, knowledge, and community, as well as economic development. Mayor Ge noted that Chengdu’s GDP went up by 13.6% in 2004, while revenue increased by 30%. He also identified the importance of university and community cooperation and reiterated that the prosperity of a community is directly related to education.

President of Sichuan University Xie Heping then welcomed the visitors from the United States (and particularly Sichuan University’s co-chair, ASU) and the forum’s sponsor, the Ministry of Education. He provided an overview of the history of Sichuan University’s consolidation and development as well as its ongoing international cooperation activities. President Xie focused on the role of Sichuan University as the research university that serves as the gateway and main research university for the West of China.

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Full Text of the Speech Delivered by President Xie Heping

Carry the Mission of Public Research University and Promote Local Economic Development

“Nowadays, universities—research universities in particular–carry three missions, namely developing the best talents, pursuing the best achievement, and providing the best community service. With the coming of the knowledge economy era, the success of universities becomes increasingly connected to their social functions. Whether a university can embrace greater opportunities and space is largely determined by how much its contribution is acknowledged, respected, and supported by the society. All in all, this depends on the contribution of universities to the society. Based on this concept, we believe it is imperative for universities to proactively carry forward the missions to serve the society.

The Status and Function of Public Universities in Serving the Society

The world higher education history shows that public service has remained an important function of universities, public research universities in particular.

Universities have experienced discrete status in agricultural economy, marginal status in industrial economy, and core status in knowledge economy. Accordingly, the functions of universities witnessed three periods.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, universities were specialized academic research and teaching institutions with the sole responsibility of teaching and developing talents. Universities operated independently of the society and conducted independent research.

During the period of industrial revolutions in the 1860s, universities took on a new function to do scientific research. Humboldt’s concept on universities gained popularity worldwide, arguing for teaching through researching and combining education and scientific research. Therefore, universities were characterized by the combination of scientific research and developing talents.

During 1950s, Britain began to establish colleges and institutes with the purpose to serve local industries and business. The Morrill Act (1862) provided legal standing to include public

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service as one aspect of universities’ responsibilities in the U.S., which was acknowledged by universities worldwide. Especially in the later half of the 20th century, universities were increasingly updated to the core status of the society and demonstrated greater impact on social development, which resulted from the political, economic and cultural development, and predicted the trend of new universities.

Public universities played a leading role in integrating public service into university’s missions. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Wisconsin State University put forward the concept that universities should serve the community. This led to a new era of university development and significantly influenced the conceptualization of universities.

The leading role of public universities in incorporating public service into universities’ design is attributed to their missions. As public universities, they were established essentially as strategic resources contributing to economic construction and social development. Therefore, by birth, public universities were destined to carry this mission and to proactively align themselves to the need of nation building.

It has been proven that the economic development of a nation is closely related to whether it has world class universities. In the U.S., Stanford University created the legend of Silicon Valley that became the origin of high-tech industries in the world. In Britain, Cambridge University produced the miracle Cambridge Science and Technology Park, the most highly concentrated area of talents in Europe. In China, Beijing University and Tsinghua University nurtured the Zhongguancun High Science and Technology Park, the pioneer of China’s high technology industry.

In China, public universities comply with the historical trend and represent higher education in serving the public.

The world higher education embraces great diversity by including public, private, and community academic institutions, which collectively contribute to higher education prosperity and civilization advancement. Depending on the social context in the individual nation, public universities play their role in different ways. Overall, public universities in China have been the majority since 1950s. They are the main force in serving the society. The status and current situation of public universities in China are determined by the factors as follows:

First of all, public universities were founded to ‘strengthen the country through education.’ For the Qing dynasties in the late 19th century, internal riots and external invasions worried the government so much that they hoped to strengthen the nation through education. This was evidenced by the establishment of the Imperial Tung Wen College in 1862, followed by the Westernization Movement in 1865 that advocated Western education system. In 1898,

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JingShi College (the original Beijing University) was opened, representing the beginning of public higher education in contemporary China. In 1912, Yuanpei, Cai, a leading liberal educator in China, took office of the education minister. He reformed and modernized China’s higher education substantially. Therefore, by birth, public universities in China were closely connected to governments.

Secondly, the establishment of People’s Republic of China in 1949 largely determined the status of public universities as the main force in China’s higher education. During 1950s, China was confronted by many challenges, including a huge population and poor industrial and economic infrastructure. It was under such circumstance that public universities were established with tremendous support from governments. Despite the emergence of private universities in the 21st century, public universities still enjoy core status in China’s higher education. As the representative of higher education, they represent the quality and standard of education in China and play a significant role in economic construction and social development. Statistics in 2004 indicated that all the key universities in China are public universities. They host 103 National Key Labs, representing two thirds of National Key Labs in China. Of all the research projects of the national 863 and 963 strategic planning, two-fifths of them went to public universities; of all the papers from China collected by ‘SCI’ and ‘EI,’ 70% of them came from public universities; of all the awards for National Natural Science, Technology Progress and Invention, public universities embraced half, two thirds, and a quarter of them, respectively. More importantly, public universities have established strategic cooperation with more than 80% of middle and large enterprises in China. Hence, it is unquestionable that public universities shoulder the main responsibility of fundamental research in China. As the backbone to support science and technology research and industry, they are the super driving force for economic construction and social development in China.

Mission of Public Research Universities in Social Economic Development

1. To provide high quality workforce for social economic development

During the era of knowledge economy, human resource has become the most important element and the most feasible productivity. As the cradle to foster professionals and talents, public universities develop and provide high quality workforce for the society. For example, to meet the requirement of social economic development, SCU has redesigned its strategic planning and established the goal to provide workforce equipped with solid humanity background, professional expertise, strong innovative awareness, and broadened horizon. By so doing, SCU aligns itself to meet the requirements of workforce not only in quality but also in quantity.

2. To provide technological innovation for social economic development

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Technological innovation is the major driving force to social economic development. Since 1990s, developed countries have chosen to improve their competitiveness primarily through technological innovation. Public universities show unique advantage in this. Firstly, public universities host the majority of technological innovation projects by means of contract research. Secondly, public universities enjoy a large number of national key labs, research bases, and engineering centers. Thirdly, public universities have the top scholars, researchers, and research teams. Finally, the intellectual properties of the research achievement from public universities belong to the nation, which directly meets local and national social economic development. Therefore, public universities bring enormous benefit with their technological innovation, including the transformation of research achievement into industrial outcome, providing solutions to important technological problems, upgrading industry structure locally and nationally, and adding new economic growth points. Public universities act as the most active catalyst to technological innovation.

3. To provide humanity and social heritage support for social economic development

Public research universities are the key bases for advanced culture development, which can be demonstrated through multiple ways. First of all, public universities carry on, create, and expand the traditional Chinese cultural and the world culture. They nurture humanity value and healthy value criteria. Second, public universities guide the direction that science and technology develops so as to do service rather than deservice to human beings; Finally, they provide rational solutions from a comprehensive, insightful, and strategic perspective, so that the society and economy enjoy sustainable and balanced development.

The Practice of SCU to Promote Social Economic Development as a Public Research University

As one of the key universities directly under the State Ministry of Education (MOE), the present SCU is a research public university in west China created by merging the former SCU, Chengdu University of Science and Technology, and West China University of Medical Science. The original SCU dated back to the Sichuan Chinese and Western School founded in 1896, while the former Chengdu University of Science and Technology was primarily an engineering college as a result of the nationwide restructure of colleges and departments in 1954; The West China University of Medical Science originated from the private West China Coordinated College founded in 1910 by five Christian missionary groups from the U.S, U.K, and Canada.

As a result of university amalgamation, the present SCU has the widest coverage of disciplines, covering liberal arts, science and engineering, medical school, economics, business, management, law, history, agriculture, and education. There are 15 key disciplines

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at national level, 17 first-class key disciplines to grant doctoral degrees and master’s degrees, 168 doctorate programs, 25 master’s programs, and 21 post-doctoral stations. SCU has a distinguished faculty team including seven academicians, 516 doctoral students’ mentors, and 1324 master’s students’ mentors. SCU maintains a tradition of academic excellence with an enrollment of 48,000 undergraduates (of which 32,615 are full time students), 12,798 master’s level students, and 3,270 doctoral students. Meanwhile, SCU is one of the six universities that host National Technology Transfer Center, one of the ten universities for the Intellectual Property Protection pilot program, and one of the first 15 universities approved by the nation for the pilot project University Science & Tech. Park.

Throughout its centennial history, SCU has always fulfilled its responsibility of nurturing high quality talents, leading scientific research, and serving as culture hub. It improves the social economic development significantly through the following ways:

1. As the cradle to nurture talents with special expertise, SCU has provided a large number of top scholars and researchers.

SCU has enjoyed the teaching and research of many towering figures in China, including prestigious literature giants such as Ba Jin and Moruo Guo, the distinguished esthetician Guangqian Zhu, the well-known writer Jieren Li, influential educators such as Yuzhang Wu and Lan Zhang, and famous statesmen such as De. Zhu and Daiying Yun. Up to now, SCU has graduated more than 200,000 students who became part of the major force in social economic development. In the public-selected 100 Most Distinguished ‘Sichuan Culture Celebrities’ in 2001, 50 of them are SCU alumni; SCU alumni take 50 seats among the academician from Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of Social Science;Yonghua Song, 1984 SCU alumnus from the power system and automation department, was honored as an academician at Royal Academy of Engineering, Britain, for his remarkable contribution in the fields of energy, power systems, and control systems. He took office of the vice president of Brunel University in July 2004, the first Chinese that was appointed to such a high level position in a British university.

2. As the base for science and democracy, SCU has pioneered in and driven the democracy progress in west China.

During the anti-monarchy Xinhai Revolution in the early 20th century, SCU organized the Ethics Association in 1905, one of the most active groups for United League (the first capitalist party in China). It significantly promoted the progress of democracy in China.

During the Chinese enlightenment May 4th Movement (student activism) in the 1920s, SCU released several journals and magazines to show their strong support, including Sunday, Sichuan Students Activism, Weikelie, Semi-monthly Review, and Intuition. SCU acted as the

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vanguard to promote science and democracy in Sichuan Province, which made its publication Sunday, together with Weekly Review in Beijing and Xiangjiang Review in Hunan province, the most circulated periodicals in China. The active role of SCU made it the origin of the new cultural movement and patriotic democracy upsurge.

During the Anti-Fascist Movement between the 1930s and 1940s, SCU was actively engaged in releasing periodicals such as Marching, Golden Arrow, and Echoes to call Chinese to unite together to fight against Japanese. The year 1937 welcomed several new anti-Fascist organizations including Chengdu Anti-Japanese Association, “Sichuan Post-war Assistance Union, and Chinese Emancipation Vanguard Chengdu Branch. SCU earned the title ‘Defense Base for the Nation’ for its tremendous contribution. Despite Japanese continuous bombarding, SCU managed to keep school going on, which made it the best-run public university at that wartime.

3. As the origin and hub of advanced culture, SCU explores, inherits, and carries forward traditional Chinese culture and civilization.

SCU hosts the world-renowned Daoism research institute. As one of the major traditional religions, Daoism has been integrated into the mainstream of Chinese culture. However, for a long time, research on Daoism suffered from mismatch when the relevant data and information were in China while research was primarily conducted in foreign countries. Since the 1980s, SCU broke the mismatch by obtaining significant research achievement in this area, thus bridging the gap in the research on Daoism. In particular, the book History of Chinese Daoism, edited by SCU social science professor Jun Ling, provided a comprehensive view on the core ideology of Daoism and restructured the Daoism-based Chinese religion system. Meanwhile, this book improved the impact of Daoism on the world, which promoted the provincial tourism industry in the Daoism base Qingcheng Mountain.

SCU’s tremendous contribution to Dunhuang research ended the period that saw Dunhuang research in foreign countries while the place Dunhuang was in China. Due to historical reasons, most research achievement on Dunhuang was accomplished overseas. However, professions from SCU researched Dunhuang Colloquial Glosses, the poems of Fanzhi Wang, and Dunhuang Poetries from the perspective of philology. Its research achievement won worldwide recognition. As commented by Japanese scholar Iriya Yoshitaka: ‘Not only the place Dunhuang is in China, but also is the research on Dunhuang.’

SCU distinguished itself by cataloging and researching ancient Chinese books, an achievement that was culminated by the publication of Collection of Essays in the Song Dynasty and Collection on Confucianism. Collection of Essays in the Song Dynasty was the largest project to collect and catalogue essays at discontinuous times. It ended with 180 volumes and more than 100 million words, providing a comprehensive picture of the politics,

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economy, military affairs, education, literature, ideology, science and technology, religion, and society in the Song Dynasty. The publication Collection on Confucianism crystallized the research on Confucianism. This research project involved more than 5,000 ancient Chinese books and is projected to be 500 million words long, reputed as the landmark in the history of Chinese culture.

4. As the frontier of science and technology innovation in west China, SCU has been a vigorous force in developing economy.

As a high-profile research public university, SCU not only enhances the original fundamental research, but also accelerates the transformation of research achievement into practice, making SCU the vigorous force in developing economy in west China.

Thanks to the multi-dimensional complex data and image information integration theory from SCU, there was established the largest air-ground intelligence communication control equipment and development base, making it the major driving force of knowledge breakthrough for China’s civil aviation. This research outcome won the 2nd place in State Science & Technology Progress Awards and the 1st place in science and technology progress at provincial level. The application of this research has brought an economic benefit of as much as over 350 million Chinese dollars. It takes more than 90% market share in the domestic market.

The new method created by SCU to obtain ‘Ammonium Dihydrogen Phosphate Though Slurry Concentration’ won 1st place in the State Science & Technology Progress Awards, and it significantly updated the phosphorus industry in China. The technology derived from this method has become the mainstream in phosphate production in China. Application has been seen in the factories at Guizhou and Yunnan that can produce 250,000 tons of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate annually, making southwest China the center of phosphous technology and the primary base of phosphor production.

SCU discovered a series of core technologies regarding ecological environmental protection, including ‘Alpine Grassland Degeneration and Effective Recovery of the Desertified Vegetation’ and ‘Quick Recovery of Artificial Earth Surface Vegetation,’ which provided primary technological support for ecologic reconstruction and environmental management in west China. Until recently, more than 100,000 Mu grassland has been recovered using this method in Ganzi, Hongyuan, Xiaojin, and Ruoer gai, quadrupling the grass yield and increasing residents’ income in these areas by 40%. These technology innovations have generated billions of financial benefits to social economic development and continuously enjoy greater popularity in west China.

Given the rich rare earth resources in west China, SCU developed a series of core

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technologies regarding permanent magnets, such as ‘Rare Earth Permanent Magnet’ and ‘Nanocrystals ND-FE-B Permanent Magnet.’ These technologies were adopted by several enterprises in Chengdu, making it the production center of rare earth magnets. In addition, the application of these technologies has embraced tremendous financial benefit, among which the Yinhe Corporation alone earned more than 300 million Chinese dollars from its annual sales income.

Research results from SCU in the areas of high-speed hydraulics and rock and soil mechanics has enjoyed widespread application in water resource management and large scale hydroelectric construction projects, thus contributing to national energy development and construction substantially. SCU has seen its research application in many important projects, namely Jinshang Jiang Xiluodu Water Power Station, Xiangjiaba Water Power Station, Yalongjiang Jinping Water Power Station, Ertan Water Power Station, Daduhe Pobugou Water Power Station, and Minjiang Zipingpu Water Power Station.

Statistics show that SCU has collaborated on 3,068 science and technology projects by contracting with a large number of corporations such as Changhong Electric Corporation and Chengdu Airplane Corporation.

5. As the key base of medical service in west China, SCU is the center of medical service.

SCU represents the top level medical technologies in west China. The affiliated West China Medical Hospital enjoys the first class facilities with liver transplantation operation equipment. It did the first liver transplantation operation in west China, in the 1970s. In the past four years, it already completed about 179 liver transplantation operations with 100% success rate, indicating its world-class medical standards. In addition, the West China Medical Hospital has earned good reputation in vasculocardiology deparment and pancreatitis treatment nationwide. In the past ten years, it has cured about 11,610 patients with pancreatitis, reducing the death rate from 40.52% to 10.77% and the operation rate from 77.58% to 19.38%.

As the origin of medical service in west China, SCU has connections with more than 70 local hospitals in medical service, including resource sharing, inclusive patients treatment system, academic support, distance medical treatment, distance education, and research cooperation. In the past three years, SCU has assigned about 50 medical teams consisting of more than 1,000 people to provide medical service training and guidance workshops in 61 poverty-hit counties or ethnic minority counties such as Guangan, Kangding, Changdu, Yaan, Anyue, Pingshan, Changning, Ganzi, and Zhaojue.

As the backbone of medical service in west China, SCU also provides medical service through its affiliated hospital, which enjoys excellent facilities with 5,000 rehabilitation beds.

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Since 2000, the hospital has served 12,420,000 patients. In addition, it has served a large number of patients from overseas.

6. As the pioneer in implementing opening policy in west China, SCU has bridged west China and the world.

SCU has always been the vanguard in internationalizing science, education, and culture in west China. As early as 1910, SCU was the first to align curriculum and instruction to the international standards and to provide modern/comprehensive college education. In 1914, SCU led the way to start English education systematically, which fostered the first group of bilateral and bicultural talents in southwest China. In 1911, West China University of Medical Science was founded. It introduced modern medical science and was the origin of China’s stomatology and medical education. In 1906, SCU introduced western athletics by building a soccer field and tennis court. These pioneer efforts have broadened the horizon of people and promoted the internalization process of southwest China.

SCU also serves as the largest Sino-foreign science and culture exchange center in west China. For years it has enjoyed visits or presentations by a large number of prestigious people, such as former U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush, the former U.S. Ambassador Oedekerk, and Nobel Prize winners Zhenning Yang, Zhengdao Li, Jianxiong Wu, Manjiang Niu, and Haosheng Zhao. The past three years have seen increasingly active academic exchange, including the visit of eight Nobel Prize winners, more than 30 world renowned academicians, and more than 1,330 scholars. Meanwhile, SCU has hosted or co-hosted 48 international conferences or seminars that attracted more than 1,000 foreign experts and scholars. Furthermore, SCU enjoys the greatest popularity among overseas students in southwest China. In the past three years, there have been about 3,000 international students attending SCU from 50 countries. This is coupled with SCU’s active engagement in international academic exchange by sending scholars and faculty to other institutions for visits. For instance, in the last three years, SCU has been the home institution for more than 350 scholars going abroad for further learning and for approximately 1,500 visiting scholars to other institutions.

As the research center of South Asia, SCU has accomplished the most fruitful research achievement and successfully bridged the economic cooperation among South Asian countries. The Institute of South Asian Studies at SCU was established in 1964 on the request of the former Premiere Minister Zhou. In the past five years alone, it has finished 12 key research projects, including the publication “Economic Research on South Asian Countries,” “The Development of Software Industry in India,” and “Research on Trade Issues between Southwest China and India,” thus significantly enhancing the strategic cooperation between China and South Asia.

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Barriers and Reflections on Serving the Public by Public Universities

Though widely recognized for their public service functions, public universities have not been able to serve the public at their full capacity. Several issues provide explanation:

1. Government Governments, especially government authorities in the less developed west China, have not been able to fully understand the tremendous impact of universities on local economic development. There lacks clear understanding regarding the balanced development and coordinated mechanism between public research universities and local social economy. Doubts still exist concerning the strategic resources and catalyst function of universities to economic construction. As a result, public research universities have not received adequate attention on their role to boost social economic development.

2. IndustriesMost corporations in China, particularly private corporations, are more concerned with immediate and short-term benefits instead of long-term benefits. Consequently, they strongly prefer to collaborate with universities on specific research projects that predict immediate financial returns, rather than to provide strategic support for universities. Accordingly, innovative projects, despite their huge potential to receive long-term benefits, are much less attractive to corporations. In summary, the collaboration between universities and corporations is largely driven by short-term profit and is very near-sighted.

3. UniversitiesUniversities, public universities in particular, depend too much on governmental support. They have become aware of this problem and started to follow the model ‘gain support through contribution and develop through proving service.’ However, universities suffer greatly from their inertia and respond slowly to the pressing need of becoming more self-dependant and self-motivated. They have been used to waiting for, depending on, and asking for government support directly, which prevents universities from obtaining independence.

4. Social mechanismThe absence of a well-established social mechanism to transform research results of universities gives rise to many problems as well. On the one hand, the research outcome from universities, particularly those high-tech research achievements, holds great potential. On the other hand, they involve certain level of risk. Given that fact that ‘risk investment’ doesn’t enjoy much popularity due to its small scale and lack of effective social mechanism, the transformation of university research results lag far behind in meeting the requirement of economic development.

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To remove these barriers, governments, enterprises, and public universities should work together. Several ways can be adopted by public universities to achieve this goal.

Firstly, public service should be given top priority and be incorporated into the strategic planning of public universities, so that university advancement goes together with social economic development. For example, in order to find solutions for the national and regional problems in science and technology, economy and culture and social development, the second phase of the 985 Project of SCU included three first-class platforms, six second-class platforms, and three humanity and social science research bases considering the need of economic development and characteristics of Sichuan and southwest China. Specifically the ‘Ecological Environment of Resource Development and Project Security’ in the second phase of the 985 Project was targeted at ecological and environmental problems resulting from excessively exploiting water resources, mineral resources, and tourism resource.

Secondly, it is imperative for public universities to reform the internal organization of academic departments so that they can better serve the public. At present, the departmentation and organization of public universities still follow Humboldt’s model in the 19th century and fail to give enough attention to public service. Therefore, public universities need to enhance their public service function and realign their research and academic resources, so that they adapt to the modern economic society and to cater to the diversity and complexness of science and culture.

Thirdly, public universities should prioritize the transformation of their research results. By placing it the first place in the research institutions, research teams and labs in public universities will call researchers and scientists’ attention to the need of social economic development. In doing so, researchers will integrate the social needs into their research, thus successfully combining the pre-research consulting of public service and post-research transformation of the outcome.

Finally, it is important to strengthen the cooperation between universities and governments, enterprises-sponsored research departments. Public universities should proactively seek in-depth strategic relationships with local governments and enterprises through contract projects. They will gain increasing support from governments and enterprises by driving economic growth and promoting social development.

SCU has long cherished the tradition of serving the public. Confronted with the requirements

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of knowledge economy, we will proudly carry forward this mission and make greater contributions to promote the social economic development.”

Jeffrey Moon, Consul General from the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu, delivered a speech on collaboration between America and China, citing the historic academic relationship between Hu Shi and John Dewey.

A short tea break with media interviews followed.

President Michael Crow of Arizona State University then addressed the group. President Crow outlined the thinking behind the New Gold Standard/New American University and discussed its potential applications in the Chinese context.

Full Text of the Speech Delivered by President Michael M. Crow

“Thank you, President Xie and Vice Minister Wu.

We are convened because of the imperative need to design universities for the next hundred years. The greatness achieved with the model of the past century is insufficient to address the challenges we currently confront, and we cannot accomplish our objective based solely on the models of the past. Looking ahead, we must equip ourselves to address levels and layers of complexity and sustainability that are unprecedented. So far we have done only a marginal job, and this is simply not adequate to the tasks ahead.

If our global society were doing a better job, we would not have polluted our air and our water, for example, and we would not continue to allow such a large percentage of the population to live in poverty. We have built an immense infrastructure to support human life, but as the population of the planet grows, we will have to double that infrastructure. This is a challenge that human society has not faced on such a scale until now. The sort of effort that this will require is ongoing and continuous. There is no single achievement that will allow us to call the work complete, and there will be no time at which we can rest, saying we have done all we can. There are only the challenges that confront us to address and overcome. And universities play a critical role in helping all of us to understand and to overcome these challenges.

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This coming together of leaders from China and the United States to discover, explore, and design the kind of universities we will need going forward is of immense significance. We must assess the needs of society and determine what is required of the universities of tomorrow. These institutions may bear some resemblance to the universities that served our needs in the past, but they will be utterly different because what we need for tomorrow is not what we needed before.

We will measure the success of our institutions based on our desire to leave no one behind, on our success in achieving diversity, and on our ability to provide the best possible education and generate the most creative and useful research.

Both in the United States and China the approach towards higher education has been to focus on elite universities that conduct important research and to invest in these institutions at the expense of all the others. This may be a first step, but every university must do research and seek to have societal impact. Each must do so in order to provide its students with the best possible education and to provide its community with the best possible service. Each university must be able to answer the questions: what did this university accomplish and contribute economically, culturally, environmentally, and socially? We must measure ourselves with multiple and multifaceted metrics.

It is as if we are architects, and we are building a house. This house is the university. In order to build it well, we must ask ourselves: what do we want it to look like? We cannot simply replicate what has been built in the past. The copy will inevitably be a poor shadow. All universities need to meet a certain standard, but universities need to seek differentiation, and not replication. Differentiation enhances the individual institution, and it enhances the system of higher education as a whole. Differentiation allows us to break down false hierarchies.

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Design imperatives/parameters

At ASU we have conceptualized the frame of this house with what we call ‘design parameters.’ These design parameters give us a sense of how the house should look, and they guide us as we fill in the rest of the blueprint and build the structure.

The base—the foundation—of what we do is to embrace our setting. By this I mean that we seek to understand the place in which the university is situated, and we embrace the challenges and success of that place.

Universities are the most transformational institutions in society. We seek to transform society, by focusing the university’s efforts beyond its institutional borders, and to learn from many diverse environments.

We understand that the knowledge economy will be the driver for economic success in the foreseeable future. We understand this to mean not just traditional science and technology. Science and technology considered in isolation, we know, have created as many problems as solutions. Thinking about the social consequences of science and technology is just as important. Understanding the multiple facets of the creative and knowledge economies is

Leveraging placeASU must embrace its cultural, socioeconomic and physical setting

Transforming societyASU must become a force and not only a place

Knowledge EntrepreneurA culture of academic enterprise

Pasteur’s PrincipleUse inspired research

A Focus on the IndividualOutcome-Determined ExcellenceA Commitment to Cultural Diversity

Intellectual FusionInterdisciplinary MultidisciplinaryTransdisciplinary Postdisciplinary

Social EmbeddednessPublic Service Community Engagement Outreach

Global EngagementTransnational Transcultural

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just as important as the objects and advantages we may create with science. Nanotechnology is an important example. The university must behave as a knowledge entrepreneur. This is different from a financial or business entrepreneur. The university must have different return on investment metrics and, as knowledge entrepreneur, must advance with full awareness of our broader, social responsibilities.

ASU has evolved from a normal school to a comprehensive university in a short time, as have many Chinese universities, and we do so while honoring our roots in the normal school tradition of teaching first and always. As teachers we must also advance learning on all levels, and this is guided by research. The form this research should take is a critical question for our scholars, for our students, and for our objective of contributing to society and the economy. We cannot pursue all the research and learning that our society, our scholars, and our students need in the old hierarchical model with physics at the top of the science pyramid, for example. We need to embrace use-inspired research—research guided by need—as much as research guided by curiosity. This is a key cultural shift for universities.

All of us come from different backgrounds, and we must embrace diversity if our institutions and, more importantly, our society, our world, is going to be successful. Our universities must create mechanisms to build a breadth and range of opportunities for scholars and students—for all learners. We, the higher education community, are learning every day that exams, like the SAT in the United States, are too narrow as measures of aptitude and achievement. We need, then, to place less and less weight on such exams and instead stretch our own minds and design additional and alternative measures that embrace the breadth of intelligence.

Disciplines are useful constructs in many ways, but they are constructs, and where they constrain us—constrain our thinking—they become less useful, and we must be prepared to think beyond them. This can be among the most difficult changes for universities. At ASU we strive, in our design and implementation, to bring the disciplines together. An example of this is the Biodesign Institute. We are pursuing such interdisciplinary conceptions because without intellectual fusion—without enabling the most creative thinking—we are destined to fall behind.

The university is probably the most important institution on this planet. We are the generators and incubators of new ideas, new science, new materials, new objects, new technology, and new ways of thinking and problem solving. We are inherent problem solvers and embrace the task of understanding the world’s most complex challenges as our life’s work. At ASU, for example, we engage directly in such issues as affordable housing, migration and immigration, environmental sustainability, and the advancement of the knowledge economy and workforce.

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Finally, we are focused on global engagement. We are here today because we recognize the importance and value of global engagement across many levels. The fate of the planet rests heavily with the people of the United States and the people of China.

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The institutional challenge: new institutions are necessary to harness knowledge to address the challenges we face

With all this is at stake, the institutional challenge for universities is great. The success of our countries, our cities, and our families, rests in many ways with the academic leadership of the world. To illustrate more specifically what I mean by this, I would like to walk us through a case study.

ScienceApproaches to Inquiry

Pre-Science Look at nature Make educated guess as to how it

works

Traditional Science Study nature Hypothesize how it works Make very educated guess as to how it works and what it means Build theory (predictions

5000 years before 1700

1700-2000

2000-

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Integrated Science• Traditional science• Expand and link• Observation• Experimentation• Modeling• Integrate with natural science• Integrate beyond natural science

Excellence and embeddedness: sustainability

The long-term sustainability of our planet remains in doubt. We are not currently organized, as a species and as nations of the world, to be sustainable. Universities need to re-equip and redesign themselves in order to deal with the challenges this presents.

Most U.S. and Chinese universities are based on a model dating from 1700–2000. Since the year 2000, however, we have seen the need to rapidly accelerate the development of integrated science and inquiry that expands and links together observations from natural science, economics, and social science in its models. We need to integrate within each of these categories and across them. We conceptualize this integration as outcome-based inquiry, use-inspired research, and intellectual fusion.

Outcome based inquiry

OutcomeSpecific Tools/Understanding toAttain Outcome

Traditional science Key questions

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Universities as entrepreneurs: economic development and societal transformation in the knowledge economy

The university as entrepreneur, as I mentioned earlier, does not mean becoming a business, but it does mean finding ways to leverage the university’s unique products: knowledge. At ASU we have built programs to help local biotechnology companies get venture funding, opened a center to incubate student companies, developed a strong technology transfer arm, and built use-inspired (technology product-driven) research entities such as our Biodesign Institute. We are building a new kind of knowledge and innovation center in collaboration with the surrounding community, and something called Macrotechnology Works, which will help conceptualize new products, from the first seed of an idea through to production—this “skunkworks” takes on entirely new technology ideas and helps work out how to design, build, and produce innovative products.

Outcome based inquiry

Outcome Ensure Environmental Sustainability

What science needs to be done towards this outcome?

Integrate Ecosystem Science and Climate Science

Everglades Sustainability Forecast Colorado River Basin Alert

Integrate PhysicalSystem Models and Meteorology

Habitat Threat Alerts

Slope Stability Alerts

Integrate FishingManagement Scienceand Meteorology and Climate Science

Real Time Fishing Limits

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Outcomes: University Design Toolkit and the Global Institute for University Design

Now I would like to turn to our task over these coming two days. We are here to start building a toolkit for university design. This toolkit will take the tangible form of a book and will be geared toward how to design universities that can adapt as rapidly as society is changing. This toolkit will be the first product of a developing Institute for University Design, in which we will work together, all learning from one another’s experiences, to conceptualize the design parameters that will help us successfully conceive and construct the universities of the 21st century and beyond.”

Vice President Li Jingquan of Wuhan University delivered a speech prepared by President Liu Jingnan, who was unable to attend. President Liu’s speech focused on the history and ongoing efforts of Wuhan University to proactively contribute to regional economic development.

President Karen Holbrook of Ohio State University spoke to the forum about the shared challenges and opportunities facing institutions of higher education in the United States and in China. President Holbrook focused on the Ohio State University’s experience as a land grant institution and provided a number of partnership models for consideration.

Full Text of Speech Delivered by President Karen Holbrook

“Good morning. Vice Minister Wu, President Xie, and President Crow, thank you for the opportunity to join such esteemed colleagues in the spirit of international cooperation to discuss higher education—an area of deep interest and concern to all of us as we strive to advance the social and economic agendas of our nations. The most pressing issues of our day may have originated as local problems, but they are now global in reach and impact and, as such, require the expertise, attention, knowledge, and engagement of many partners for solution. Never before has the need for broad collaboration and the intervention from a strong international system of higher education been greater.

While reading about the vast changes China is undergoing, I was struck by the many similarities China and the United States share as nations, and as states and provinces, in our focus on issues of higher education. Both of our countries are in a phase of rapid change and transformation to benefit our people and our futures. We are both working in a new economy and a competitive environment, and both of us see education as an individual and a societal good. I am impressed with how greatly our thinking converges. My remarks will emphasize several generalizations about topics in higher education that appear to be of concern to both of our countries:

1. Access – The United States is concerned about educating ‘a nation of learners,’ providing

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opportunity, knowledge, and skills to people of all social classes, ages, and backgrounds that prepare them for a brighter future in an innovation-based economy. This means that we must be able to accommodate them in a college or university and that they must have the academic preparation from their elementary and secondary education that permits them to complete college work successfully. Access can be summarized as the 5 A’s:

o Aspirationo Availabilityo Academic preparationo Attainabilityo Affordability

Recognizing that higher education plays a role in increasing economic competitiveness, fueling economic growth, and creating more and better jobs, the Governor of my own state of Ohio assembled the Commission on Higher Education and the Economy (CHEE). He believed that the work of the universities and colleges could be leveraged to position Ohio to compete more effectively in the new knowledge- and innovation-based economy. The CHEE report emphasizes productivity, accountability, and new ways of doing old things. Change is a mandate.

China also has a need for access to higher education—in existing institutions and in those yet to be created—as it enacts a strategy to provide education to the rising number of middle class citizens. o In 1998 there were 6,000,000 college students in China—6% of those of an eligible age

to attend;o In 2002 there were 16,000,000 college students; the numbers increased to 20,000,000

in 2004, or about 15% of those of an age eligible to attend, and the largest population of college students in the world.

2. Technology is a critical element of the learning environment on our campuses. It creates a major link with other campuses and with environments worldwide. It is an enabler for expanding resources and promoting local, regional, national, and international collaboration. Countries need to invest in technology and to increase access to supercomputers across industries and research fields for purposes of national security, to predict natural disasters, or to develop programs in the animated arts. We also face the challenge of inspiring students in engineering and science to enter technology disciplines and careers.

Ohio has recently established the ’Third Frontier Network’ (TFN), 1,600 miles of broadband fiber that connects universities and colleges with the K-12 public schools, statewide businesses, hospitals, and with the national networks. The TFN supports the sharing of instrumentation and large databases for research applications in defense, intelligence, transportation, healthcare and pharmaceutical development, pollution control and

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remediation, fuel efficiency, and the arts; it establishes distributed classrooms and permits team teaching, high performance computing, and medical collaboration, capitalizing on speed and capabilities that were not available with the existing broadband networks. The added fiber provides for better support in decision-making, accurate modeling and simulation, and coordination and integration of data assembly over tens of thousands of servers. The TFN supports product and supply chain processes and systems for verification and validation.

These enhanced and more sophisticated resources also provide new opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students––for our visiting scholars.

3. International Partnerships – ‘Global Engagement’ We acknowledge the importance of international students and scholars on U.S. campuses. Since the mid-1950s there has been a significant and continuous rise in international students studying in the United States with a 17-fold increase, such that more than 572,500 international students were enrolled at U.S. institutions in 2003-04 (Open Doors, IIE).

Ohio State currently has 4,300 international students studying on campus, with an additional 1,500 international visiting scholars each year. We provide instruction in 38 languages and have several area studies programs, including an Institute for Chinese Studies. Ohio State has a National East Asian Language Resource Center with an US/China Links program that connects OSU and other American university students with internships throughout China. We are also funded as one of three National Chinese Flagship Programs (NCFP), offering an MA in Chinese language and providing internships in China. Our NCFP is working with the other two national flagship programs to create a training and placement supervisory center in Qingdao on the Yellow Sea. The center will be available in 2006.

Over 700,000 Chinese students have studied abroad over the last year. More than 50% of the top Chinese university administrators have prepared abroad, and Chinese Universities have established hundreds of grassroots linkages with foreign universities. The Ohio State University is among them, and we are proud of these connections. In 2003, China drafted a document regarding Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools that provided for standards, selection of partners, and guidelines for offering degrees in their name.

One of the major advantages of the present China-US Forum on University Design is the opportunity to expand and create additional relationships between our countries, and, because of the many relationships each of us has with other countries, we may well be able to expand our bilateral relationships into multilateral networks of relationships.

4. Centralized and expanded campus settings – Chinese universities recognize the need to expand beyond their constrained urban setting to the periphery of their great cities. Ohio

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State’s five regional campuses can be studied as a model for such expansion. Space and new facilities allow smaller institutions to be closely tailored to the needed of the regional populations in those locations—often older adults who wish to fit school into their work schedules and study on part-time while living at home and raising families. Programs can be targeted to the economic needs of the area, and very special programs for industries and businesses of the area can be created. Connections of the regional campuses with their local communities also provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in outreach programs to the community and to prepare them beyond the classroom for citizenship.

5. Revitalization of physical facilities and addition of new facilities – Many American universities were established in the late 1700s and 1800s and have aging and poor quality buildings. Renovation and new construction provide the opportunity to design new learning environments to meet the needs of today’s student—one who is vastly different from the student who was enrolled at the time our institutions were created. New institutions allow architectural genius to come into play—the new institutions in the Middle East (see below) have capitalized on such opportunity.

6. Adult education has been emphasized in both of our nations. As the economy has transformed globally, our workforce needs new skills and access to continual education that will prepare them for the jobs of today and the future, not the ones being left behind. Planning for and accommodating these people brings a greater proportion of society into the realm of the workforce.

7. Competition – our great universities of the world compete for students. We emphasize that our students must become prepared for the global environment to give them no limit to their opportunities. The permeability of borders and appropriate academic preparation are the limiting factors to student choices and mobility. While we recognize the value of preparing students to go anywhere, our countries are also concerned about the loss of brainpower to other nations unless talent flow is universal.

These are a few of the similarities in our interests and goals in higher education. How each is approached and incorporated in a regional or national strategy will depend upon the socio-economic characteristics of the particular nation: its history and culture, model of governance, resources available, approach to life, and the importance various sectors (manufacturing, service, professions and agriculture) to the local economy.

Rarely is there an opportunity to create an entirely new environment where one can look forward to the future and prepare students creatively and thoughtfully for what portends to lie ahead. The features that we share is common ground and a good beginning as we deliberate and develop strategies for designing new institutions of higher education in our discussions over these two days. Other recommendations to be considered are:

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1. Use experience from the past (our own and that of others) to guide the future in developing a master plan for higher education;

2. Think creatively, untethered by existing structure, protocol, bureaucracy, or by the need to change the existing embedded culture;

3. Understand the local and world economies and the interactions in our globalized society as a backdrop for building human capital for the jobs of the future and for dealing with interactions in a world of different cultures, religions, and languages;

4. Use the opportunity for mission differentiation of institutions to meet specific local, regional, and national needs. This may occur within a university and among institutions;

5. Create relevant, active and interactive learning environments for students that implement new teaching modalities and engage a range of qualified instructors—new environments that free students and faculty from conventional thinking, that emphasize “learning by doing,” and that foster intellectual creativity. Build preparation for leadership into all programs:a. Internships and co-op experiencesb. Research parks and incubatorsc. Undergraduate student research within the university environment;

6. Build partnerships and relationships that create an environment for innovation—one without silos, one that embraces what Dr. Crow refers to as ‘intellectual fusion’—that takes advantage of all kinds of expertise: local, national, and internationala. Partnerships with other universities, with government, with industriesb. Partnership between Ohio State and Battelle Memorial Institute (for example)c. Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University—a model of a ‘live, learn, work, create’ environment where university and industry co-exist physically, and government provides infrastructure and supportd. TechColumbus—a central Ohio partnership to provide one door into the technology R & D community of the region;

7. Capitalize on the demographics of the region; take the opportunity to empower women and under-represented minority individuals to re-tool and re-invigorate adult learners; define and build sustainable values and a culture of continuous learning for people of all ages;

8. Think and act on a different time scale than is characteristic for academia;

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9. Include assessment of outcomes in the design of all programs.

Process: Creating a New University System

One can begin first by looking at one old model, then examining a contemporary model that is in play around the world. Neither will replicate precisely the situation for university design in another country, as the unique social, political and economic conditions of that country will guide and direct the process.

The Land-Grant Universities in the United StatesTheland-grant system was created in 1862 when U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Act—legislation that provided land and funding to the states to build an educational system of 59 public colleges and universities to enable the sons and daughters of working people to contribute directly to the social and economic development of our nation. These land-grant institutions were charged with providing instruction in agriculture, mechanical arts (now called engineering), and classical studies (or liberal arts) so that students could obtain both a broad-based and a practical education. The Morrill Act revolutionized the nation’s approach to higher education by making a college degree available to many more people than had ever been imagined—a noble goal to build a middle class.

The Ohio State University was chartered in 1870 as an urban land-grant institution. William Oxley Thompson, president of Ohio State between the years of 1899 and 1925, defined the responsibilities of the land-grant University as being concerned with: o the content of the curriculum o the university’s role in K-12 educationo access, admission standards, and completion rateso service to the developing nationo helping students develop character and civic responsibility, ando economic development

All of these were issues then…and now. President Thompson further emphasized that all colleges within the University must strive to attain the highest level of excellence.

Following World War II, the land-grant institutions were called upon by the U.S. government to expand their roles and assist developing nations strengthen their own higher educational capabilities. Such activities created meaningful long-term partnerships among U.S. colleges and universities with governments in our country and other countries and with private sector partners to work toward finding solutions to important social and economic issues facing

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today’s highly globalized, interdependent world. The exchange of information is, and must be, mutual. We learn as much from our global partners as they learn from us.

The land-grant mission is very much alive today. In 1995, several presidents of land-grant institutions reviewed the role of public higher education and, over the next four years, produced six documents calling on our public institutions to be as ‘transformational’ in these times as they were when they were first chartered. The documents examined learning, discovery, and engagement in a new age and a different world. Our history has been one to recreate ourselves to serve a changing society that has prepared us to lead the next wave of change (NASULGC Task Force on International Education).

Contemporary Models in the Middle East Qatar—the nonprofit Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development determined it would be faster and more convenient to assemble existing programs from abroad in the Persian Gulf rather than start from scratch to build a high quality university, and thus Education City was established. Medicine from Cornell; engineering from Texas A&M; arts and communications from Virginia Commonwealth University; business and computer science from Carnegie Mellon; and global security and intelligence, aeronautical maintenance, aviation business, and meteorology from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University are the components of the new university. Starting from scratch using building blocks of the finest quality expedites the process—in this case in an environment where money is no object. Education City is expected to become an engine of growth and change for the nation. A science park is also planned.

The United Arab Emirates is working with colleges from several of our Big Ten universities (Business, Ohio State; Engineering, Purdue; and General Education, Michigan State) to create an entirely new university in Abu Dhabi, involving our faculty and using our university standards and programs to provide quality education to their students with our degrees.

We have a great opportunity to begin some exciting discussions today that will reveal some new and innovative ideas about the fundamentals for university design. The thoughts we have shared this morning are intended to stimulate your thinking toward the goals of developing:o A toolkit for innovative public university design and o The formation of an Institute for University Design that will undertake research on university design (guided by the themes of this first forum) and additional themes to be identified during our subsequent discussions.

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity and honor to speak with you today. I am looking forward to our individual sessions.”

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Breakout Sessions:

Each breakout session was co-chaired by a U.S. university leader and a Chinese university leader. Chairs and group participants were free to give presentations on theme-related issues, and discussion within the context of the theme followed. By the end of each three-hour session, a “toolkit” of useful mechanisms for university design, specifically in the given theme area, was to be developed. The discussion of and toolkit produced by each breakout group is to be elaborated upon in one chapter of a book that will be a field-guide for tackling issues in university design.

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Group 1: Human Capital Building for Emerging IndustriesUS Chair: Risa Palm, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Louisiana State UniversityChinese Chair: Duan Baoyan, President, Xi’an University of Electronic Science and TechnologyTranslators: Tian Jing and Wang Qixing

US University Participants:Ronald Applbaum, President, Colorado State University-PuebloRobert McGrath, Senior Vice President for Research, Ohio State UniversityBarbara Snyder, Executive Vice President and Provost, Ohio State UniversityEdward Cupoli, Professor of Nanoeconomics, State University of New York, Albany (SUNY Albany)Zhiyong Lan, Professor of Public Affairs, Fulbright Scholar, ASU

Chinese University Participants:Liu Jingnan, Wuhan UniversityLei Han, Chongqing University of Medical SciencesTang Jiliang, Guangxi UniversityWen Xintian, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityAniwar, Xin Jiang UniversityZheng Xiaojing, Lan Zhou UniversityWang Houjun, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaDing Renzhong, Southwest University of Finance and EconomicsYang Wenyu, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityChen Guoqing, Inner Mongolia UniversityZhang Yalin, Northwest Agriculture & Forest UniversityZhang Xiaoping, Sichuan Agricultural University

Li Yanjun, Inner Mongolia UniversityZhang Jian, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityWu Yabai, Higher Education Office, Gansu Education DepartmentLi Xibin, Higher Education Office, Xinjiang Education DepartmentXiang Rong, Planning and Development Office, Inner Mongolia Education DepartmentZhang Xiaoping, Sichuan Agricultural University

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Group 2: Use Inspired Research and Technology TransferU.S. Chair: Michael Young, President, University of UtahChinese Chair: Ye Quyuan, Executive Vice President, Shanghai Jiaotong UniversityTranslators: An Fang and Deng Baiying

US University Participants:Karen Holbrook, President, Ohio State UniversityPearl Bigfeather, Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President, Ohio State UniversityFred Esplin, Vice President, University of UtahFrank Kehrer Cartledge, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs, Louisiana State UniversityPeter A. Bloniarz, Associate Provost for Informatics, Dean, School of Information Science and Policy, State University of New York, Albany (SUNY Albany)Daniel Hale, International Program Coordinator, James Madison UniversityJim Buizer, Executive Director of Sustainability Initiatives and Special Advisor to the President, ASUBrittany Crow, Research Analyst, ASU

Chinese University Participants:Fang Yu, Shaanxi Normal UniversityXiang Benchun, Shihezi UniversityWang Yanjue, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChen Zhijian, Southwest Jiangtong UnviersityZhu Lijun, Guizhou UniversityLi Xing, Ningxia UniversityYe Liaovuan, Yunnan UniversityCai Zhijun, Guizhou Education DepartmentWu Cinan, Guizhou UniversityAn Chunren, Ningxia Education DepartmentLai Ping, Qinghai Education DepartmentQui Yanjun, Southwest Jiaotong UniversityKong Bin, Ningzia University

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Group 3: University High-Tech Parks in Remote Locations: Challenges and OpportunitiesU.S. Chair: Timothy White, President, University of IdahoChinese Chair: Li Yongsheng, Executive Vice President, Tongji University Translators: Yin Bei and Zhou Xiaoying

US University Participants:Michael Crow, President, Arizona State UniversityMariko Silver, Director of Strategic Projects and Special Advisor to the President, ASUHarold Silverman, Interim Vice Chancellor, Research & Graduate Studies, Louisiana State University Rob Melnick, Associate Vice President for Economic Affairs, ASUKermit Hall, President, State University of New York, Albany (SUNY Albany)Gretchen Kalonji, Director of International Strategy Development, University of California

Chinese University Participants:Xie Heping, Sichuan UniversityWang Liming, Northwest Normal UniversityXiao Zhengxue, Southwest University of Science and TechnologyLi Changyou, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityFang Linmin, Tibet UniversityZhou Xuhong, Chang An UniversityShi Jian, Sichuan UniversityChen Aimin, Sichuan UniversityGuo Dongming, Dalian University of TechnologyChen Demin, Chongqing UniversityYan Hongtao, Northwestern UniversityYan Jianqun, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityZhang Chunyu, Southwest University for NationalitiesLi Junfeng, Shaanxi Education DepartmentLi Yinfang, Northwest UniversityLi Mei, Tongji UniversityYang Hua, Southwest Normal UniversityLiu Changya, Planning and Development Dept., Ministry of Education

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Mao Dongmin, American & Oceanian Affairs Division, Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, Ministry of EducationHan Guodong, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityWang Junsheng, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University

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Thursday, June 2Breakout Sessions:

Group 4: The Role of the University in Local and Regional Economic Development – Universities and Government

U.S Chair: Kermit Hall, President, State University of NY, Albany (SUNY Albany)Chinese Chair: Duan Baoyan, President, Xi’an University of Electronic Science and TechnologyTranslators: Tian Jing and Wang Qixing

US University Participants:Ronald Applbaum, President, Colorado State University-PuebloFrank Kehrer Cartledge, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs, Louisiana State

UniversityPeter Bloniarz, Associate Provost for Informatics; Dean, School of Information Science and Policy, State University of New York,

Albany (SUNY Albany)Edward Cupoli, Professor of Nanoeconomics, State University of New York, Albany

(SUNY Albany)Rob Melnick, Associate Vice President for Economic Affairs, ASUGaston Fernadez, Professor, Indiana State UniversityDaniel Hale, International Program Coordinator, James Madison University

Chinese University Participants:Liu Jingnan, Wuhan UniversityLei Han, Chongqing University of Medical SciencesTang Jiliang, Guangxi UniversityWen Xintian, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityAniwar, Xin Jiang UniversityZheng Xiaojing, Lan Zhou UniversityWang Houjun, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaDing Renzhong, Southwest University of Finance and EconomicsYang Wenyu, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityChen Guoqing, Inner Mongolia UniversityZhang Yalin, Northwest Agriculture & Forest UniversityZhang Xiaoping, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityLi Yanjun, Inner Mongolia UniversityZhang Jian, Sichuan Agricultural University

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Wu Yabai, Higher Education Office, Gansu Education DepartmentLi Xibin, Higher Education Office, Xinjiang Education DepartmentXiang Rong, Planning and Development Office, Inner Mongolia Education DepartmentZhang Xiaoping, Sichuan Agricultural University

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Group 5: The Role of University Achievements in Social Sciences in Local and Regional Economic DevelopmentU.S. Chair: Michael Crow, President, Arizona State UniversityChinese Chair: Ye Quyuan, Executive Vice President, Shanghai Jiaotong University Translators: An Fang and Deng Baiying

US University Participants:Michael Young, President, University of UtahRisa Palm, Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost, Louisiana State University Fred Esplin, Vice President, University of UtahBarbara Snyder, Executive Vice President and Provost, Ohio State UniversityZhiyong Lan, Professor of Public Affairs, Fulbright Scholar, ASUMariko Silver, Director of Strategic Projects and Special Advisor to the President, ASUBrittany Crow, Research Analyst, ASU

Chinese University Participants:Fang Yu, Shaanxi Normal UniversityXiang Benchun, Shihezi UniversityWang Yanjue, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChen Zhijian, Southwest Jiangtong UnviersityZhu Lijun, Guizhou UniversityLi Xing, Ningxia UniversityYe Liaovuan, Yunnan UniversityCai Zhijun, Guizhou Education DepartmentWu Cinan, Guizhou UniversityAn Chunren, Ningxia Education DepartmentLai Ping, Qinghai Education DepartmentQui Yanjun, Southwest Jiaotong UniversityKong Bin, Ningzia University

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Group 6: Entrepreneural Collaboration: Fostering InnovationU.S. Chair: Karen Holbrook, President, Ohio State UniversityChinese Chair: Li Yongsheng, Executive Vice President, Shanghai Tongji UniversityTranslators: Yin Bei and Zhou Xiaoying

US University Participants:Timothy White, President, University of IdahoRobert McGrath, Senior Vice President for Research, Ohio State UniversityPearl Bigfeather, Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President, Ohio State UniversityHarold Silverman, Interim Vice Chancellor, Research & Graduate Studies, Louisiana State UniversityJim Buizer, Executive Director of Sustainability Initiatives and Special Advisor to the President, ASUGretchen Kalonji, Director of International Strategy Development, University of California

Chinese University Participants:Xie Heping, Sichuan UniversityWang Liming, Northwest Normal UniversityXiao Zhengxue, Southwest University of Science and TechnologyLi Changyou, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityFang Linmin, Tibet UniversityZhou Xuhong, Chang An UniversityShi Jian, Sichuan UniversityChen Aimin, Sichuan UniversityGuo Dongming, Dalian University of TechnologyChen Demin, Chongqing UniversityYan Hongtao, Northwestern UniversityYan Jianqun, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityZhang Chunyu, Southwest University for NationalitiesLi Junfeng, Shaanxi Education DepartmentLi Yinfang, Northwest UniversityLi Mei, Tongji UniversityYang Hua, Southwest Normal UniversityLiu Changya, Planning and Development Dept., Ministry of EducationMao Dongmin, American & Oceanian Affairs Division, Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, Ministry of EducationHan Guodong, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University

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Wang Junsheng, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University

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Presidential Lectures to Sichuan University Students:Michael Crow, President, ASUThe Limits of Us: Shaping the State of the Planet

Karen Holbrook, President, Ohio State UniversityBiology and Human Affairs

Kermit Hall, President, SUNY AlbanyThe United States Supreme Court

Michael Young, President, University of UtahContemporary Issues in American National Government

Ronald Applbaum, President, Colorado State University-PuebloPutting Your Best Face Forward: Constructively Managing Intercultural Conflict

Plenary Session--The Toolkit

The forum closed with an all-participant discussion of The Toolkit and the proposed Institute for University Design. The Toolkit will represent the first effort of a broad spectrum high-level higher education leadership to capture the shared challenges and ideas exchanged about solution mechanisms targeted toward ensuring that universities can be proactive partners in regional economic and community development. Each breakout session designated a leader to present the findings of the session to the full forum group. The results of the breakout session will be formulated into the Toolkit for University Design, which will be published in book form and online in Chinese and English by Arizona State University and Sichuan University, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

The second major outcome of the forum will be the Institute for University Design. The Institute will seek to understand and guide the ongoing evolution of public university architecture worldwide.

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The Institute will undertake research (survey and analysis) of university design strategies and implementation around the world. The initial focus will be on innovative public universities but can expand to encompass other university models.  

The Institute will identify two-to-three issues every two years on which to focus its efforts (for example, the first set of topics will center on the issues of local and regional economic development discussed at the forum).  

The Institute will maintain a webspace showcasing innovative models. The webspace will be a locus for interactive discussion, issue framing, and goal-setting.

The Institute will publish a monograph series in Chinese and English. Institute members will work to publish papers in Chinese and English language journals and popular press.

The first book produced for publication by the Institute will be the Toolkit for University Design, which will be based on the results of the China-US Forum on University Design.

The Institute will begin with a focus on U.S. and Chinese universities but may seek to expand its network to include universities in other countries.

The U.S. Secretariat for the Institute will be located at Arizona State University.

The China Secretariat for the Institute will be located at Sichuan University in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

The Institute will seek extramural (foundation/philanthropic, government (Chinese and U.S. governments) and international agency) funding for its work.

The Institute provides a space for collaborative work and knowledge exchange among university presidents, while helping universities around the world to pursue productive one-on-one institutional partnerships in research, teaching, and staff development.

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