Representatives from the China University of Petroleum, Beijing (CUPB) visited Missouri University of Science and Technology on Nov. 30 to discuss opportunities for collaboration. Last year the Chinese university’s Huadong campus began a partnership with the university, the first American partnership for CUP.
During the recent visit, Missouri S&T Provost W. Kent Wray and CUPB Chancellor Jiang Qingzhe signed both a Memorandum of Academic Cooperation and a transfer agreement, which allows CUPB students to transfer to Missouri S&T after their first two years of study in geology and geophysics. Transfer programs in other academic areas are also being discussed.
“The CUP Huadong partnership we started last year has been very successful,” says Dr. Kelly Liu, professor of geophysics at S&T. “This semester, 10 students from CUPH enrolled in our geology and geophysics program. Most are doing very well in spite of the fact that this is their first semester in an English-speaking country.”
By drawing top Chinese students to Missouri S&T, the program provides S&T students opportunities to become familiar with Chinese culture, and a possibility of future personal connections in China. Liu says interactions such as these are essential to geology and geophysics students, who commonly work on a global scale.
“This program would not be possible without the hard work of our colleagues in the geology and geophysics program, and the staff in international affairs, admissions and the registrar’s office,” says Dr. Stephen Gao, professor of geophysics at S&T. “We hope that our collaborative efforts will enhance S&T’s status as a top international university.”
Additional members of the CUPB delegation included Drs. Zhu Xiaomin, dean of the geoscience college, Chen Mian, dean of the petroleum engineering college, and Sun Xudong, director of international affairs. The representatives also expressed interest in expanding the scope of the collaboration to other areas, such as graduate education and faculty exchange.