Indiana University
A pre-trip welcome, and where we’re going
Beginning Saturday, an Indiana University delegation, led by IU President Michael A. McRobbie, will embark on a two-week trip to Asia, a region of the world where the university’s connections run deep and reflect IU’s ever-increasing impact on the international stage.
Specifically, the delegation will visit (in order of arrival) Japan, China, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong, which are home to some of IU’s strongest institutional partnerships or offer the greatest potential for new alliances. These partnerships are a key part of IU’s international engagement efforts, which aim to increase study abroad opportunities for IU students, establish new research collaborations for faculty and enhance engagement in one of the most economically dynamic regions of the world.
Among the many highlights of the trip, which includes meetings with several of the world’s top-ranked universities, alumni, business and government officials, will be the grand opening of IU’s new gateway office in Beijing. The IU China Office, IU’s second international gateway office (last year, IU opened a similar office in India) will serve as a home base for IU activities in that country.
IU’s new China gateway office will be housed in the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) building in the Tsinghua Science Park, which is the science park of China’s top-ranked Tsinghua University
China continues to be a desired destination for IU students to acquire an overseas experience and a partner for talented international students and scholars. Case in point: About 5,150 Asian students accounted for more than two-thirds of IU’s international enrollment of 8,263 in the 2013-14 academic year, including more than 3,500 from the People’s Republic of China — plus 80 students from Hong Kong. Additionally, 225 students from across IU studied in China last year, along with another 65 students who studied in the other countries McRobbie is visiting, and these numbers have been increasing significantly in recent years.
The trip also gives IU a chance to reconnect with its many Asian alumni. The total number of alumni in the countries McRobbie is visiting is fast approaching 10,000, and the university has active alumni chapters in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
This will be McRobbie’s fifth visit to China since becoming IU’s president in 2007. He also will become the first standing IU president to visit Vietnam, where the university and its School of Public and Environmental Affairs have strong connections.
Joining him on the trip will be IU Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret, IU first lady Laurie Burns McRobbie and IU Foundation president and chief executive officer Dan Smith.
And I’ll be there, too, serving as your humble international correspondent and chronicling our daily activities. This is my first trip to Asia, and I’m excited to visit this vital part of the world. I’m also looking forward to taking part in a trip that promises to further strengthen IU’s position as one of our nation’s most internationally focused universities.
I hope you will follow along and check in frequently as I share news, photos and updates, and please feel free to reach out to me directly with questions at rpiurek@iu.edu.
Tags: Asia, Beijing, China, Dan Smith, David Zaret, Hong Kong, Indiana University, IU Alumni Association, IU China Office, IU Foundation, Japan, Laurie Burns McRobbie, Michael A. McRobbie, Ryan Piurek, Singapore, Vietnam
