Proposal for a University of Chicago Center in China
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Proposal for a University of Chicago Center in China A Report to the President and Provost By The Ad Hoc Committee on China October 29, 2008 Table of Contents Summary of Goals and Recommendations ..................................................................... 2 Existing University of Chicago Programs and Engagements with China ................... 4 Intellectual Opportunities and Programmatic Activities ............................................... 4 Location ............................................................................................................................. 7 Institutional Partnerships ................................................................................................. 9 Programs by Other Institutions ..................................................................................... 11 Personnel and Staffing .................................................................................................... 12 Space Requirements ........................................................................................................ 15 Financial Support ............................................................................................................ 16 University Structure for International Initiatives .......................................................... 16 Next Steps and Interim Options .................................................................................... 17 Appendix A: Existing University of Chicago Programs and Engagements with China .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix B: East Asian Civilization Abroad Program ................................................ 27 1 Summary of Goals and Recommendations The ad hoc committee on China is pleased to present the following report to the President and Provost concerning how the University might consider establishing a university center in China. Based on the committee members’ longstanding experience with scholarship in China and international centers abroad, the committee is fully supportive of the idea of establishing a physical center for the University in China, and feels that it would greatly benefit the University academically and institutionally. While the faculty and students of the University already have strong ties and collaborations with China and Chinese colleagues, having a facility in China would enable the University to enhance and expand such offerings significantly. The academic opportunities which could be housed or promoted through a center include: • Facilitation of research/collaboration with Chinese universities and research institutions • Recruitment of students and faculty • College programs • Professional training programs, certificates, etc. • Workshops and conferences for faculty and graduate students • Public programming, including those featuring Chicago faculty • Promotion of alumni affairs and development initiatives Having a center in China and the increased level of activity afforded by such a center would allow the University to compete more effectively with its peers, most of whom have stronger institutional footprints in China than does Chicago at present. The increased recognition of Chicago and its commitment to international leadership will help improve recruitment on the Chicago campus and create a cycle of improved collaboration and connections in China. The committee recommends that the proposed University of Chicago Center be established and housed independent of a Chinese institutional partner, if possible; location of the Chicago Center on a Chinese university campus would be the second best option. The “independent status” would allow greater latitude for the Center to develop connections, cooperative ties, and partnerships with multiple institutions throughout the country and is in the long-term interests of the University. Whereas the committee believes the independent center model is feasible in China, it recognizes that the Center’s operational challenges might increase if the Center were not based on the campus of a Chinese partner institution and recommends further investigation into regulatory and other considerations. Another consideration for the committee was the question of where a center would best be situated. After extensive evaluation and site visits, particularly in evaluating the strengths of Beijing and Shanghai, the committee recommends that the Chicago center in China be located in Beijing, and preferably in the Haidian university district, where there is the greatest concentration of major universities, research institutes, and other communities of interest. 2 This center would provide space for the programmatic activities described in this report. In addition, its staff would be able to facilitate these activities for University faculty, students and administrators, and to develop and strengthen connections and exchanges with Chinese universities, research institutes, and other relevant communities. A final recommendation which grew out of the committee’s deliberations is the need for stronger institutional governance of international activities within the University’s administration. In order to strengthen support and visibility for international initiatives such as a center in China and in order to facilitate a number of related functions, the committee believes that responsibility for international initiatives should be vested in a deputy provost or vice presidential appointment. In sum, the committee is excited about the opportunity to advance both scholarship which would benefit from such a center, and to improve the University’s presence internationally. It is the committee’s hope that such a center will serve as a model for a greater institutional role for Chicago in global educational initiatives. 3 Existing University of Chicago Programs and Engagements with China As a starting point for our discussions on how a center in China could enhance the University’s engagement with China, the committee members undertook surveys of their own departments and units. These findings, while clearly not exhaustive of all activity across the University, demonstrate a broad spectrum of programs and initiatives in China and with Chinese institutions, and we believe strengthen the argument for establishing a University center in China. These range from formal study-abroad programs for undergraduate students, informal scholarly interactions at the individual level, to formal research collaboration between Chicago faculty and Chinese colleagues at the laboratory level, grant review panels, and in a number of cases institutionally. For the sake of space and because we recognize it is not possible to be exhaustive in such a discussion, we have highlighted a few examples to illustrate the range of programs and initiatives already taking place. A full listing of the committee’s findings can be found in Appendix A of this document. Student-oriented Programs/Activities Chinese students make up the largest group of foreign students at the graduate level in a number of departments at the University of Chicago and, as the level of wealth rises in China, there is a growing number of college applicants from China as well and increased sponsorship from the Chinese government for advanced graduate students studying abroad. Chicago students participate in a range of programs, including the East Asian Civilization Program and a summer Chinese language program for undergraduates as well as language study and field work for graduate students (See also Appendix B). Faculty Research/Collaboration Chicago faculty members are engaged in China-related research and collaborative activities in virtually all divisions and the professional schools and in a broad footprint across China. A number of Chicago faculty members have received significant accolades from Chinese institutions, and are engaged in a wide range of activity including research, publication, institutional assistance, and scholarly exchanges. Professional Training The Graham School of General Studies delivers programs both in China and in Chicago, including training for government officials, high school and college students, and adult travel study, and is in the process of negotiating new certificate programs. The Graduate School of Business has offered executive training programs for Chinese executives, and the Law School is exploring a joint program with a Chinese institution. Intellectual Opportunities and Programmatic Activities Over the course of its deliberations, the committee discussed a wide range of activities that a center in China would support. Underlying all these discussions was the premise that the establishment of such a center would enhance and expand, rather than replace, activity already underway with regard to China. The committee’s consensus was that 4 a University center in China would expand opportunities for scholarship and increase institutional interaction in several key areas: conferences and workshops, student and faculty recruitment, and improved institutional engagement and visibility. Conferences, Workshops and Opportunities for Academic Collaboration One of the most consistent findings of the study trip undertaken by committee members in September 2008, and one which was supported throughout the committee’s discussions, was the important role a physical center in China could have on increasing interaction with the local intellectual ecology of academic institutions