Like an educational MacGyver, Jinghua Liu has built a bridge between Pennsylvania and China using little more than a digital camera, Magic Markers, and Yahoo e-mail account.
Dean Wan Meng and Associate Dean Russell Leu of Beijing Foreign Studies University School of Law visited Penn State Law recently, exploring ways to increase opportunities for J.D. and LL.M. students in Beijing. They took part in real-time videoconferencing in the Lewis Katz Building and learned about Penn State Law videoconference events with counterparts in Uganda, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Wan Meng and Leu were interested in learning more about the equipment, its design, and cost; replicating the same technology could help BFSU Law School expand its international reach. (more)
As part of a long-term globalization initiative at Penn State, David Hall, dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), along with Penn State President Graham Spanier and a delegation of faculty members that included seven IST professors, visited China earlier this summer. The purpose of the trip was to strengthen ties with Peking University, a major research university located in Beijing, as well as to explore further opportunities for collaboration with Chinese universities. (more)
The reality of urbanization and industrialization is leaving a mark on an important life-sustaining resource -- water -- especially in China. Students from Penn State University and China's Jiangnan University recently addressed the problem head-on, undertaking field research on the shores of Lake Taihu, China's third largest fresh water lake, from May 14-31. While there, they studied the effects of industrial, municipal and urban development within Jiangsu Province- -- one of the most industrialized regions in China -- and offered strategic suggestions for the lake's restoration. (more)
George Andrews, Evan Pugh professor of mathematics at Penn State, has been has been awarded an honorary professorship at Nankai University in China. Andrews receives this honor in recognition of his many important contributions to research fields including number theory and combinatorics. In addition, he is recognized for solving a number of well-known long-standing problems in these fields. Andrews has expressed that, as an honorary professor of Nankai University, he would do his best to support the teaching and research projects at the Nankai University's Center for Combinatorics -- one of the leading national academic institutions for mathematical research. (more)
Roughly 20 Penn State students, most from the Lehigh Valley campus, depart on Thursday, May 19 for a short-term study abroad experience in Beijing, China (see previous story, "Faculty collaborate to create global citizens"). Led by two Penn State Lehigh Valley professors, the students will spend two weeks studying communication and business topics at the Capitol University of Economics and Business, as well as tour some of the historical and cultural highlights of the emerging world power. While there, one Lehigh Valley student, D. Samuel Greene, will blog about his and fellow classmates' experience. (more)
Two faculty members from Penn State Lehigh Valley have combined their efforts to offer students a short-term study abroad experience in China as well as credit for the courses taken in conjunction with the opportunity. This collaboration is an example of how many Penn State faculty across varied academic disciplines are collaborating to foster the global perspective students need to be competitive after graduation. (more)
--"Life's Silvered Strand: George 'Daddy' Groff's China,"a Penn State University Archives exhibition is on display Feb. 15 to June 8, in the Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library.
George Weidman Groff (1884-1954), affectionately known as "Daddy" Groff by thousands of his students, was an agricultural faculty member concentrating on horticulture and botany during his years at Penn State and Lingnan Universities. A pioneer in identifying medicinal plants, Groff was honored in 1953 as one of the first five named "Distinguished Alumni" of Penn State. (more)
For the second year in a row, six Penn State journalism majors are completing summer internships with China Daily, China's exclusive English-language newspaper. Their assignments started June 30 and continue until Aug. 10, when the students will return home and then return to the University Park campus later in the month for the start of the fall semester. (more)
At the request of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts and Competition, Penn State Law Professor Beth Farmer testified at a hearing on the impact of China's antitrust Law and other competition policies on U.S. companies. Particular issues that were addressed included merger review, monopoly, state owned enterprises and intellectual property. The hearing was held in the Rayburn House Office Building at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13. (more)
