March 2006

Welcome to e-TrueBlue: China, a bimonthly communication for University of Michigan alumni in China. As the Chinese Alumni Relations program continues to evolve, our goal is to update you on our efforts to building a global program that benefits the University and its faculty and students.

Michigan News

Some U-M graduate students spent their spring break applying what they learned in the classroom in the real world. The International Policy Center at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, along with other university units, sponsored 25 graduate students and two U-M professors on a trip to China. The group attended meetings in Beijing and Xian with scholars, business leaders and government officials to learn more about China's growing economy and pressing policy issues. "Being in China helped us translate some of what we'd studied in the classroom into actual conditions," said U-M Associate Professor Ann Lin. "We learned where government policy is directing China's reforms and where policy hasn't been able to catch up with the changes. We also learned about how the Chinese see the United States, which explains some of the differences between our two countries."

Alumni Association News

Update your contact information

The Alumni Association is committed to keeping you up to date on our efforts to build a global alumni program. We are better able to meet this goal if your contact information with the University is updated. You can update your University record online by filling out the University of Michigan Alumni Record Update at https://www.dac.dev.umich.edu/freeform/controller?Event=WELCOME.

Did someone forward you this copy of e-trueblue: China? Make sure you receive your own copy by updating your University record online at https://www.dac.dev.umich.edu/freeform/controller?Event=WELCOME.

If you have questions or problems updating your record, please send an email to dev.ARO@umich.edu.

inCircle helps make connections

Stay connected to the University and its alumni by using inCircle, the Alumni Association's online directory and networking community. All U-M alumni have access to inCircle, making it easy and convenient to find friends from Michigan, make personal and professional connections, and build your network with alumni from around the world. The first step is to log in and create your profile. Get started today at http://alumni.umich.edu/china/inCircle.php.

Projects and Partnerships

The University of Michigan is committed to strengthening its academic excellence to meet the demands of today's global economy. To meet this goal, U-M faculty and staff from U-M will be crossing borders and disciplines to share academic excellence and best practices with some of China's top universities and colleges. Programs to date include:

• In February, delegates from U-M and Peking University met in Ann Arbor to share ideas and best practices on higher education. Administrators and faculty from both institutions discussed the intricacies of a public university and how interdisciplinary programs are developed and funded.
• In April, the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University will publicly unveil the U-M/SJTU Joint Institute in Shanghai. An agreement was signed in June 2005 between the two universities to establish a joint institute where both U-M and SJTU students can earn various degrees from one or both institutions. The unveiling coincides with SJTU's 110th anniversary.
• Steve Grafton, president of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, together with Ken Lieberthal, director for China at the William Davidson Institute at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Robert Kelch, executive vice president for U-M Medical Affairs, will be traveling to China in May to conduct a series of events with alumni in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. The sessions are intended to connect and strengthen relationships with U-M alumni in those regions.

Did You Know?

In 1912, Levi Lewis Barbour toured the Far East and met several Asian women who had earned medical degrees from U-M. Impressed with their talent, Barbour pledged to bring more Asian women to the University for an education and established the Barbour Scholarships for Women. The program has flourished for the past 89 years and has helped educate hundreds of students from countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.

Club News and Events

If you are interested in getting involved with other U-M alumni in the Shanghai area or would like to know about upcoming club events, contact the Shanghai club at umchina@gmail.com.

If you live outside the Shanghai area, you can contact alumni leaders in Beijing and Hong Kong. Contact information can be found at http://alumni.umich.edu/china/contacts.php.

e-TrueBlue: China is sent to members of the Alumni Association in China via email as a benefit of membership. If you prefer not to receive it, please send an email to MAlumni@umich.edu with a subject of REMOVE ETRUEBLUE CHINA. If you would prefer to receive the text-only version of this newsletter, send email to MAlumni@umich.edu.

Unless indicated, the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan does not have a relationship with any of the Web sites or businesses mentioned in e-TrueBlue. The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan is not responsible for any inaccuracies found on these connections.