The University is looking to strengthen its relationship with China in an effort to expand its presence and appeal to a growing base of potential donors. In the past year, the University has actively increased its outreach efforts by developing its partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong and planning for the upcoming Year of China.
"We have a growing number of Chinese alumni, non-Chinese alumni living in China and applicants from the country," wrote President Ruth Simmons in an e-mail to The Herald. "In that regard, our presence in China will certainly grow, and demands from our alumni to have meaningful programs and relationships in China will continue."
While fundraising is not the primary goal of partnering with China, it is a positive consequence of the University's outreach, Simmons wrote.
"A strong alumni presence in China will naturally mean that our alumni club activities and fundraising efforts there will increase," she wrote.
Professor of Physics Chung-I Tan, who is leading the Year of China effort, said he hopes the Year of China engages both students and alums to a greater degree than previous yearlong efforts. He said past initiatives, such as the years of Africa, Latin America and India, failed to reach a large portion of the student body.
Tan also acknowledged the influence the Year of China will have on the ability to foster interest beyond Brown's campus.
"Next year we will be focusing on campus activities, but it will be a stepping stone for our future goals with China," he said. "It will make Brown better known and will help us reach out to our alums."
"Alums and parents and the broader Brown community exist in that part of the world, and the more we can engage them, the greater the opportunity we will have to ask them to appreciate what Brown is doing and contribute to Brown," he added.
The University's expanded relationship with the Chinese University of Hong Kong is another part of this greater effort to strengthen ties in the country.
The university "is one of the top schools in greater China," said Matthew Gutmann, vice president for international affairs.
The collaboration began in 2006 and was bolstered by the signing of two memoranda of understanding in March 2009. Under the memoranda, a recent master's program graduate from the Hong Kong school will come to Brown to help teach Mandarin each year, and Brown students will be provided new study abroad options.
The University has received the help of one master's program graduate — who serves as a teaching associate while at Brown — each of the past two years.
"It helps Brown students to know more about not only China mainland, but also Hong Kong," wrote Weisi Cai, the current teaching associate, in an e-mail to The Herald.
"The relationship allows us to provide each other with opportunities to know more about Chinese and American cultures," he added.
Lung-Hua Hu, senior lecturer in East Asian studies, said the teaching associates have allowed for "increased student contact time" and that "they've been very good in helping us teach courses."
A revised memorandum of understanding for next year will allow the language program to continue, said Kerry Smith, chair of the Department of East Asian Studies.
The University is extending an invitation to the school's president, Joseph Sung, to visit and give a talk. Sung is "quite an impressive man," Gutmann said.
The partnership not only helps the University reach out to alums and potential donors, but it is also an opportunity for the University to learn more about China as it gears up for the upcoming Year of China, he said.
"The Year of China is an opportunity for the campus to learn about the history of the country as well as about the many issues and opportunities facing China today," Simmons wrote.
"I don't think you can be an educated person in China without knowing something about the language, culture and history of the United States," Gutmann said. "And I don't think you can be an educated person in the United States without knowing something about the language, culture and history of China."
