UMass China Institute > China Institute-Message from the Director

Message from the Director

The University of Massachusetts has been committed to international engagement since our third president, William Smith Clark, was invited to Japan in 1876 to help establish the Sapporo Agricultural College on the island of Hokkaido (now the University of Hokkaido). Since that time, the University has continued to seek opportunities to partner, educate, research and serve beyond the Commonwealth's borders.

Today, the largest part of the University's international approach is with the country of China.  The University's official China Strategy, was initiated in 2007, and continues to be reinforced by our close partnership with Tsinghua University and by the establishment of New England's first Confucius Institute. The collaborative activities that have since evolved include the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Base and the Academic Bridge Program. In addition, UMassOnline has partnered with CERNET and CCEA to position UMass as one of the first foreign university approved to offer online education courses and degree programs in China. The UMass, CERNET relationship was instrumental in CERNET's choosing to open their first US office, the Massachusetts Education and Research Base in Marlborough.

The China Institute was created to better serve and support the University's engagement with China and acts as the management arm for the University's China programs.  It is intended to be a resource not only for the University campuses, but for the people of the Commonwealth and offers language, cultural and business training to corporations and government agencies that would like to learn how to better work with China.

Our website is regularly updated with news articles, blog entries and events, so please check back often. We invite your thoughts, encourage your questions and hope that you will utilize the China Institute's services to expand your knowledge and broaden your accessibility to the country of China.

Allan Guo
Executive Director

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