ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY - A LOCAL UNIVERSITY WITH A GLOBAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SHANGHAI 000570 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE ALSO FOR ECA, OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SCUL CVIS KIPR ECON TBIO TRGY SENV CH SUBJECT: ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY - A LOCAL UNIVERSITY WITH A GLOBAL FOOTPRINT SHANGHAI 00000570 001.2 OF 003 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) During a November 17-18 visit to Hangzhou, the Consul General (CG) met Zhejiang University President Yang Wei and discussed the university's international network, strategies to promote international student exchanges, collaborative research, scientific innovation and visa issues. Zhejiang University fosters international collaboration through four international networks: the Association of Pacific Ring Universities, the International Association of Universities (IAU),the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN),and an "entrepreneur" network. The university also pursues a "3-S" strategy to give international exposure to its students, which includes a summer program, a "sandwich" program and a scholarship program. However, many of the university's technical students encounter long waits for visa approvals (due to processing times on Security Advisory Opinions). Yang emphasized that the university attaches great importance to collaborative research and is part of the Central Government's long-term development plan in science and technology. Zhejiang University also has a unique approach to encourage patent filings and is one of the top universities in China for filing patents. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Yang emphasized his strong support for international education, saying that he himself was among the first group of Chinese students to study in the United States after the Cultural Revolution. He attended Brown University in 1981 and has maintained close ties with that university. The President of Brown University visited Zhejiang University earlier in 2008. Yang planned to travel to Indiana University, Northwestern and University of Illinois in 2009 to meet regarding an "entrepreneur" exchange program and hopes to visit California Institute of Technology, where his son currently studies. Yang also voiced appreciation for the Consulate's support and collaboration, saying he hoped to attract more American students. Currently there are 97 U.S. students studying at the university. Anchored to the World through International Networks -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) According to Yang, Zhejiang University works through four international networks to bolster its international cooperation. The first is the Association of Pacific Ring Universities, a consortium of 35 universities from 16 economies in the Pacific Rim aimed at fostering cooperation in teaching and research. Besides Zhejiang University, there are five other academic institutions in China that are members of the association. In 2007, Zhejiang University hosted the meeting of member universities' presidents and in 2009, it will host a summit of the respective universities' business school deans. Zhejiang University is also a member of the International Association of Universities (IAU),a UNESCO-based, worldwide association of higher education institutions focused on building collaboration. Yang noted that he was recently chosen to be on the IAU's administrative board. Zhejiang University is also part of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN),which supports innovation in research, and education through collaboration, exchanges and eLearning. To augment its business program, the university is also part of an "entrepreneur" network. ¶4. (SBU) In addition to working through established international networks, Zhejiang University has also signed agreements with 140 individual universities around the world on cooperative exchange. Yang further explained that the university has three levels of international contacts: the university-level (official programs through the four networks), the institutional-level (exchanges at the department level) and individual-level (for development of teaching faculty). The university is striving to systematize each type of international exchange into one overarching program. 3-S Strategy -------------- ¶5. (SBU) To ensure its students have a full range of international opportunities, Zhejiang University pursues a "3-S" strategy, which includes a summer program, a "sandwich" program and a scholarship program. Yang explained that in 2008, approximately 900 Zhejiang University's undergraduates went either to the United States or United Kingdom to study for the summer. Yang hoped this number would increase to 20 percent within the next few years. Under the program, half of the students' expenses are covered by the university and the other half by the student. The "sandwich" program combines studying SHANGHAI 00000570 002.2 OF 003 in Zhejiang University as well as abroad through a "4 plus 1 program," meaning 4 years of study in Zhejiang University for a BA degree, and 1 year abroad for an MA degree. The "4 plus 1 plus 3 program" means 4 years in Zhejiang University for a BA, then 1 year abroad for an MA and 3 years back in China for a PhD. The scholarship program entails the university sponsoring roughly 150 students annually to study abroad. In addition, the university regularly sends abroad about ten percent of its 1,600 PhD students under a joint supervision program with exchange universities. Some students even receive their degrees from the hosting university abroad. Collaborative Research and Innovation -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Responding to a question on collaborative research, Yang said the university places a "large emphasis" on collaborative research, particularly in the environmental fields. The university is part of the Central Government's long term development plan in science and technology. All five of Zhejiang University's schools are participating in government-sponsored research on 16 subjects, including water pollution, emissions, and energy consumption, inter alia. The Central Government has provided RMB 300 million (USD 44 million) to fund the research. To further its research in these areas, Zhejiang University has established a "science bridge," a collaboration program with the University of Nottingham in the UK. Yang also claimed the university is number one in technology transfer and holds the most patents among China's universities. The university actively encourages faculty and students to file patents, and in 2007, the university was granted over 1,000 patents. According to Yang, the university jointly owns the patent, and in conjunction with the rights holder, actively searches for investors to help commercialize the patent. If the patent development is successful, the university collects one third of the profits. (Comment: The concept of joint ownership of the patent is unique among Chinese universities and serves to promote the filing of patents by the inventor. This is likely one of the reasons why Zhejiang University is among the top universities for patent filings. End comment.) Issues with U.S. Visas -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In discussing the university's exchange programs, Yang noted that many of the students and faculty engaged in fields such as engineering, chemistry, biology encounter visa problems when going to study in the United States. Many end up waiting for up to 8 months for approval, he claimed, due to stateside name check requirements prior to visa issuance by the Consulate. Yang said that this delay disrupts the exchanges and hoped the Consulate could resolve the issue. (Note: Current waiting time for a security advisory opinion at the Consulate is roughly 8 weeks and growing.) Background on Zhejiang University -------------- ¶8. (U) Known as the "Cambridge of the East," Zhejiang University has five separate campuses in Zhejiang Province's capital of Hangzhou. Beginning as Quishi Academy in 1897, Zhejiang University has weathered the political turmoil of twentieth century China and emerged as one of the nation's largest and most respected comprehensive universities. As theories of tertiary education management changed in China over the past 100 years, Zhejiang University was alternatively split off into different universities and recombined back into a single institution several times. Finally, however, in 1998, the original Zhejiang University merged with Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University, and Zhejiang Medical University to form the institution that exists today. ¶9. (U) Under the direct administration of China's Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University is a key comprehensive university whose fields of study cover eleven branches of learning, namely philosophy, literature, history, education, science, economics, law, management, engineering, agriculture and medicine. The university now has 112 majors for undergraduate studies, and it is entitled to confer masters degrees in 317 programs and doctoral degrees in 283 programs. Under its administration there are 14 National Key Laboratories, 2 National Engineering Research Centers and 3 National Engineering Technology Centers. It also has established 35 specialties and 43 post-doctor stations. The university's six campuses are home to a total of 42,278 students, including 26,504 undergraduates, 10,780 SHANGHAI 00000570 003.2 OF 003 postgraduates working for master's degrees and 4,994 Ph.D. candidates. Supporting the students are a total of 8,464 faculty and staff members - including 13 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 13 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 873 professors and 1,296 associate professors. ¶10. (U) Zhejiang University has a reputation as a world-class research center, with 12 national key laboratories, seven national research centers, and over 250 other research institutes, the university is a major contributor to scientific progress of all kinds. Some of the more notable research centers include the James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, the Research Center of Intelligent Transportation Systems, and the National Engineering Research Center for Coal Water Slurry. ¶11. (U) Zhejiang University is a major partner with several universities in the United States - the most prominent partners include Cornell University, UCLA, UC Davis, Indiana University, the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, California State University at Chico, and Purdue University. CAMP