Editor's Note: Tsinghua University, sometimes known as the “MIT” of China, will open a groundbreaking branch in the U.S. next year as part of a partnership with the University of Washington. Tsinghua will be the first Chinese university to open an institute in the United States. This article, translated from the Chinese media, gives details on the branch and quotes both the presidents of both universities on its creation.
In the past few years, American universities have been focused on improving programs that foster technological innovation and development. Last week, Tsinghua University announced its new graduate program in partnership with the University of Washington called the Global Innovation Exchange Institute (GIX). Microsoft has backed the project with a $40 million seed investment.
GIX will be the first Chinese university branch, campus, and formal educational research institute in the United States. The graduate school will focus on applied technology and design related to real-world issues in areas such as agriculture, mobile medicine, and more.
Cultivating Global Talent
The campus will be located in the eastern part of the greater Seattle area, about ten miles from UW's central campus and not far from Microsoft's campus. There will be joint programs and degrees between GIX and UW, and GIX will offer a full range of teaching and research in a number of innovative inter-disciplinary fields. The institute will invite outstanding scholars and researchers to its staff, and offer English courses for Chinese students. GIX hopes to use its platform to promote multicultural, open education and research, while cultivating global economic development, and talent.
The first class of GIX graduate students will begin classes in the fall of 2016, and will be made up of 30 to 35 students. The institute will introduce more degrees and programs in the future to expand in the future. GIX will work with a number of businesses and non-profits in order to determine research needs and help guide students in solving real world problems. By 2025, GIX hopes to enroll more than 300 students.
GIX hopes to be a laboratory of innovation and will focus on strategic innovation in areas such as clean energy, mobile health care, smart cities, and Internet devices. Outstanding professors from Tsinghua and UW will be selected to teach at the institute. The curriculum will be project-based and students will earn a joint degree from Tsinghua and UW.
Presidents Speak
Tsinghua University President Qiu Yong recently gave a speech on the establishment of GIX. Qiu said that the construction of the Global Innovation Exchange shows that Tsinghua University has reached a new level in terms of the promotion of international education. He noted that it also reflects new trends in higher education and globalization, and of course, reflects China's self-confidence.
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce said that UW and Tsinghua have cooperated over the years but now the cooperation has reached new heights. In bringing together students from different fields, teachers, professionals, leaders in businesses, and entrepreneurs, GIX will “better train a new generation of future leaders with a passion for innovation.”
Tsinghua is known for its international partnerships with foreign universities. Last year, the Chinese university signed on to work with the University of California Berkeley to establish a joint reach institute in Shenzhen. Qiu said that world-class universities must be measured by their global impact, not just their impact in China.
Qiu said that both universities will share the “benefits and risks,” of the new program. He added that the new institute will be shaped by three I's: International, as in international cooperation education; Interdisciplinary; and Integration, as in cross-border integration. He added that Tsinghua wants to promote global understanding regarding China's technology leaders and elite tech companies.
Support from Microsoft
Microsoft's Brad Smith is quoted on the UW website speaking on GIX: "There are two things in the world that last for centuries, great cities and great universities. This is the only project that I've ever worked on where we grounded out planning by looking ahead a century. Just within Microsoft this project required great collaboration across the company, from our most forward-looking researchers to those with expertise in finance and facilities. I hope 100 years from now people will look back on today and say that this was an important day."
Governor of Washington Jay Inslee told UW that, “This is outstanding news for Washington and a result of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our unique and cutting-edge education and business relationships with China.”
Source: The Paper
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Keywords: Tsinghua UW GIX Tsinghua UW grad school
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The Confucius Institutes were used to spy on and intimidate Chinese abroad and spread propaganda. I wonder how quickly Tsinghua will lend itself to those purposes. "We are so proud of university cooperation bla bla." Captain subtext says: "Mother China is watching you even in the USA."
Jun 27, 2015 13:33 Report Abuse
Well, there are 1.3 billion Chinese in China. How many in the world? All the foreigners I work with know the Chinese family/restaurant in their towns. So, there are probably like 2 billion world wide. They exist. Their point of view is then valid.
Jun 26, 2015 16:24 Report Abuse
Actually, they are still black..or African....idiot. And those people are still Chinese, they speak the language...very often. I bet you think Bruce Jenner is a woman because he says he is. Maybe, then you believe I am a god, if I say I am.
Jun 28, 2015 10:30 Report Abuse
Interesting topic, ethnicity and cultural identity. The Chinese you know back home, when asked about their ethnic background (not nationality, that the IRS knows better than anybody else), which one do you hear more often, e.g. I'm a Chinese American, or, I'm an American Chinese?
Jun 28, 2015 12:00 Report Abuse
In a few years we'll be able to reflect on what sort of impact this has.
Jun 26, 2015 00:41 Report Abuse
that is all a country needs. To be associated to a university where an 'eminent' professor - Yi Yanyou - suggested that rape was acceptable if it was a bar girl who was assaulted and not a 'respectable woman'. China - keeping it misogynistic for 5000 years.
Jun 25, 2015 16:11 Report Abuse
Yeah, there was another few professors from this "prestigious" university that also said things that can only lead one to believe they got the position solely through guanxi. You know what will happen if both professors are invited to teach at this "institute"? I will tell you. Both will teach something different entirely, while the Chinese professors will claim the American professors are wrong (no matter what) and the American professors will PROVE the Chinese professors wrong and then the Chinese professors will start screaming the American professors are bullying China and make it into a cry baby contest. This happened at an international school I used to teach at... the Chinese teacher told the students that the yellow part a flame (outer) was the hottest coming from a lighter and the blue was the coldest (I guess she was going based on color) and said the Canadian teacher was teaching them science wrong. So the whole class of Chinese students sided with their Chinese teachers... who was wrong. They even got mad at the Canadian teacher for trying to tell them lies. Just in case you need proof - http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2159/what-is-the-hottest-part-of-a-flame
Jun 25, 2015 16:39 Report Abuse
"Outstanding [spying] professors from Tsinghua and [naive] UW will be selected to teach at the institute." This is really gonna hurt. Tata, C.
Jun 25, 2015 14:20 Report Abuse
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