On April 13 to 17, 2016 at the invitation of the US East-West Center, UIBE Party Secretary Wang Ling led a delegation to institutions including the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific University. The delegation signed a cooperation agreement with the center and visited Mr Martin, City Hall President of the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu. Wang Yonggui, Dean of UIBE Business School, Li Anyu, President of Shen Zhen Research Institute, Han Hong, Director of International Business Chinese Base and Zhang Cuiping, Director of Department of International Relations also attended.

On April 13, Professor Charles Morrison, Director of the US East-West Center and Chairman of Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, gave the delegation a warm welcome. He focused on the background, purpose and main research areas of the center. The center, approved the establishment by the US Congress in 1960, is a non-profit organization with functions as a think tank, academic research and educational institutions. It aims to promote the relationship and mutual understanding between the US and Asian-Pacific region through collaborative research, training and exploration. Secretary Wang highlighted UIBE’s international characteristics, its concept of cross-cultural talents cultivation and government’s policy of encouraging domestic colleges to construct overseas campus with colleges abroad. This visit was to survey how Chinese universities, relying on their own advantages can cooperate with high-level American universities and think tanks to acquire knowledge resources sharing and achieve multi-cultural integration. The two sides signed a letter of intent and decided to cooperate on Asia-Pacific relationship research, international economic and financial research, leadership training, cross-cultural communication and teacher training.

From 14 to 15 April, members of delegation visited Shidler College of Business of University of Hawaii, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University and Kapiolani Community University. In addition, the delegation entered into cooperation with Professor Vance Roley, Dean of Shidler Business College on MBA and EMBA education, innovation and entrepreneurship projects, and teachers cooperative research. UIBE had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with University of Hawaii as early as 1990, when Professor Gao Guopei, former Dean of Business School, went to University of Hawaii for cooperation and research as a visiting scholar. The visit played an important role in cooperation between two universities. The delegation was also expected to cooperate with other universities on students exchanges, middle school students to study abroad, and teacher training.

On 16 April, Secretary Wang Ling and Professor Li Anyu paid a special visit to Mr Martin, City Hall President of the capital Honolulu, Hawaii. They researched the local economic construction and social development demands, and consulted about policies of introducing high-quality foreign educational and cultural resources. Martin said that Hawaii is an east-west cultural exchange center. According to the current conditions, the city focuses on the development of education and culture and provides preferential policies.

The visit was short but rewarding, it laid a solid foundation for UIBE’s next international cooperation and higher education program.