Activities
ND President Delegation’s visit to Asia
Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University of Notre Dame, made an official visit to Asia from June 25 to July 4, 2011. He was accompanied by a delegation including Dr. Nicholas Entrikin, Vice President & Associate Provost for Internationalization, Dr. Frances Shavers, Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President, Mr. Dave Morrissey, Assistant Vice President for University Relations, and Dr. Jonathan Noble, Provost’s Advisor for Asia Initiatives and Director of the Asia Office.
Notre Dame Community on the Great Wall
Fr. Jenkins meets with Dr. Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
By the Notre Dame Tree at the Tsinghua Centenary Garden
Fr. Jenkins with Dr. SHI Changxu (left) and Dr. GU Yijian (right)
The delegation visited Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo where they met with various government and university leaders, as well as alumni, current, incoming, and prospective students. In Hong Kong, Fr. Jenkins met with Dr. Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of Hong Kong. He also met with officials from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where Notre Dame has an undergraduate student exchange program. In Beijing,Fr. Jenkins met with Dr. HAO Ping, Vice Minister of Ministry of Education, Dr. GU Binglin, president of Tsinghua University, and Dr. Zhou Qifeng, president of Peking University. Tsinghua and Peking Universities are the two top-ranked universities in China. These meetings are part of a university effort to strengthen Notre Dame’s reputation abroad, develop relationships with government leaders, and forge new partnerships with leading universities in the region. At an event held at the China Club in Beijing with university presidents, China and U.S. government officials, corporate leaders, and distinguished alumni in Beijing, Fr. Jenkins honored two scholar alumni: Dr. GU Yijian and Dr. SHI Changxu. Dr. GU Yijian, an organometallic chemist, graduated in 1950 with a master’s degree; he is the former secretary of the China Academy of Sciences. Dr. SHI Changxu, a metal and material specialist, received his doctorate from Notre Dame in 1952. He is a member of the China Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the “2010 National Top Science and Technology Award.” On the last day in Beijing, the Notre Dame Asia Office and the Alumni Club in Beijing jointly hosted a trip to the Great Wall. Alumni, current, incoming, and prospective students, and their families attended. Fr. Jenkins addressed the attendees from atop the wall, emphasizing the importance of growing the Notre Dame community in Asia. At the final stop in Tokyo, Fr. Jenkins was warmly received by the Notre Dame Club in Japan. He and his delegation also discussed new collaborations with Professor Atsushi Seike, president of Japan’s leading private university Keio University.
Fr. Jenkins’ visit to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo represents Notre Dame’s continued commitment to strengthening international partnerships in the region.
