September 2008

Welcome to e-TrueBlue: China, brought to you by the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. Our goal is to provide a regular communication to update you on our efforts to build a global program that benefits the University and its faculty, students and alumni.

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Michigan News

Some U-M reaction to the Olympics

Congratulations, China, on an extraordinary Olympic Games! In this issue, we have included the reactions of several members of the U-M family.

Steve Grafton, President and CEO, Alumni Association of the University of Michigan:

“Over the past three years, in my travels to meet with our alumni in Asia, I have observed China preparing for the Olympics. Then, as I watched the Olympics on television and cheered for the many Michigan athletes who participated in them, I could see that China had prepared well. Congratulations for a tremendous job in hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics.”

Alumnus Paul Liu, ’83, CEO of Axons Concepts, Shanghai resident and a longtime member of the National Committee:

“Growing up in a sports-obsessed Ann Arbor, Michigan, I watched the Olympic Games of my childhood each summer with intense interest, from Mexico City through Moscow. Ironically, having lived in Shanghai for the last nine years, I have to admit I was suffering from Olympic fatigue. Then the Games began…” Read the rest online.

NBC interns:

When NBC covered the Olympics this year, more than 211 million Americans watched the network’s coverage. Nine U-M students experienced the events firsthand as NBC interns. They received funding from U-M’s president, provost, the deans of LSA and kinesiology, and the Alumni Association. Following are observations from the students about the experience.

Kaitlin Urka, Class of 2009, LSA communication major:

"This will be an Olympics that will go down in history, and to say that I was a part of it, that I helped broadcast it to millions of people, that is something truly special. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

"I was able to get a ticket to see Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal. It was one of the greatest sporting highlights of my life. The energy in the Water Cube was incredible. It didn’t matter what country the people in the crowd were from, everyone was cheering for Michael and team USA.

"I put in a lot of hours. It was stressful at times. I had a couple of 19-hour days and those were a result of deadlines, so the work involved became very hectic and stressful."

Katlin Roach, ’08, LSA communication major:

"Being able to experience the Chinese culture firsthand was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. There is a lot to be said about what I learned from the Chinese people. I think one of things I admire the most about them is their inherent selflessness and desire to do what is best for the country."
 
Keenan Koss, Class of 2010, LSA communication major:

"I was able to watch track and field and USA basketball in the front row.… I learned so much and met some great people, and the 2008 Olympics were like no other Olympics. China was very different from the states, but the culture and history were beautiful and enriched with tradition. The people were so welcoming and the food was great!"

University participates in Chinese Elite Program

The U-M joined other institutions to participate in the Chinese Elite Program in Nanjing, China, in mid-July. The program, sponsored by the Ameson Cultural and Educational Foundation, brings together exceptionally talented students from the top-performing high schools across China to work with representatives from 25 world-leading universities.

Other participating institutions included the University of Southern California, MIT, Cornell, the University of Chicago, UCLA and Cambridge (England). U-M Associate Vice Provost John Matlock, ’74, PhD’79, represented U-M. He and the other representatives worked for two weeks with 300 11th grade students, many of whom expressed an interest in attending a major university in the United States and other countries.

“I was impressed that many of the students knew a lot about the University of Michigan and by the interest that they showed. I have received over 100 emails from students who participated in the program, and many plan to apply to U-M in the future,” Matlock said. He also met with several current U-M students and alumni while in China and became acquainted with many more when they introduced themselves, saying, “Go Blue!” when he wore a Michigan T-shirt or hat on the streets of Nanjing, Shanghai and Suzhou.

 Alumni Association News

Stay connected with our online community

inCircle, the Alumni Association's online directory and networking community for U-M alumni and students, is growing. Use inCircle to connect with old friends, find people who share your interests, find a job or create a group for U-M alumni who live and work in your region of the world. All you need to get started are a uniqname and password. Don't have a uniqname? You can register for one online. Go to inCircle and start building your social and professional network today.

Update your University record

The Alumni Association is committed to keeping you informed about 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. More than 500 alumni from China and Hong Kong have already updated their records. You can update your University record online.

Projects and Partnerships

UM-SJTU Joint Institute agreement renewed

The UM-SJTU Joint Institute is a unique educational experiment. Housed in the Minhang campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the JI currently provides two degree programs and a summer program for U-M engineering students, all taught in English. Executive officers from the U-M and SJTU gathered in Ann Arbor in June for a meeting of the JI board. U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and SJTU Chairwoman Ma Dexiu both expressed their pleasure at the current condition of the JI and gave direction for further development of the young institute. Plans to welcome a group of 70 students who transferred from the JI to the U-M in September 2008 were also discussed.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a three-year renewal agreement was signed for U-M by President Coleman and Provost Teresa Sullivan, and for SJTU by Chairwoman Ma Dexiu and Deputy President Ye Quyuan. In the renewal, the U-M and SJTU agree to continue to develop the undergraduate engineering programs that are taught at the JI under a curriculum designed to parallel the engineering programs at the U-M. The renewal also outlines plans to strengthen ties between the SJTU and U-M by providing opportunities for graduate students and research collaborators. Programs involving U-M’s LSA students and medical students are also envisioned.

The UM-SJTU Joint Institute Web site provides more information about the venture.

New coordinator at UM-Peking University Joint Institute

LV Hong joined the Joint Institute staff in Beijing in August, succeeding Julia Feng, with whom many of us had enjoyed working and who is now continuing her education in the United Kingdom. Hong is originally from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and earned a master’s degree in communication in 2008 from Peking University’s School of Journalism and Communication. Before joining the JI, Hong worked under the Ministry of Education of China with the China National Office of the American Field Service program, which arranges high school exchange programs between the US and China. At the JI, Hong is responsible for developing U-M activities and educational exchange programs in China and for strengthening U-M and PKU connections with other organizations.

The director of the UM-PKU Joint Institute is James Lee, U-M professor of Chinese history, who has coached numerous collaborations between the two universities since the institute was established in 2006. The JI was established by U-M and PKU to develop teaching and research activities in China, to share educational resources and to promote educational reform. Lee and his team have provided AAUM with invaluable staff, data and communications support. They invite local alumni to consider them and their facilities on the Peking University campus as a resource for volunteers who are interested in working toward greater alumni engagement. They can provide services such as data processing, event support and communications. Contact LV Hong for assistance at lvhonghonglv@gmail.com.

Go online for more information about the UM-Peking University Joint Institute.

Student Spotlight

Meet Mei Ling Liu

Mei Ling Liu is a senior majoring in neuroscience at the University. While her studies keep her busy, she’s made time to establish Youth Hope Organization on campus. The group focuses on working with underprivileged youths and took a trip this past summer to China. Mei discusses her experiences in a question and answer online.

Alumni Spotlight

Meet Xiang Gao 

“I take seriously my role as an ambassador between the East and the West through music and general education,” says Xiang Gao, ’96, MMUS’97. A native of Beijing, the young concert violinist is a faculty member at the University of Delaware and is recognized as one of the world's most successful performing artists of his generation from the People's Republic of China. In this month’s Alumni Spotlight, learn more about what Xiang Gao has to say about music, China and the University of Michigan.

Club News and Events

Beijing

The Alumni Student Recruitment Program needs your help to recruit the best and brightest applicants in Beijing! Alumni “adopt” schools, like the International School in Beijing or others that are patterned after American schools, to provide prospective and admitted students a local source of information for questions about U-M. Alumni recruiters provide guidance on what to expect about the campus culture, ease communications to help students get quick answers to their questions and address students' concerns about moving to and living in the US. Your personalized attention and one-on-one communications can help nudge admitted students into choosing Michigan over another school. Go online for more information or contact Phyllis Taylor, AAUM’s alumni student recruiting coordinator, at phtaylor@umich.edu.

Hong Kong

Bimonthly networking luncheons are held at noon on the last Friday; RSVP to umalumni.hk.luncheon@gmail.com. Contact Andy Chan, ’98, at andychan117@yahoo.com to be added to the mailing list for meeting reminders.

U-M and Notre Dame alumni joined together to cheer for their teams on Sunday, September 14, at Amici on Lockhart Road in Wanchai. Football game-watching parties are being organized as amenable venues are located (as was also the case with the Keg sports bar in LFK, which recorded the Utah game for replay and showed the Miami (Ohio) game in real time). Notices will be sent to the mailing list as these are confirmed and will be posted on inCircle. Contact Eli Cohen, ’86, at eli_cohen@euroclear.com with suggestions for where to watch.

This is the sixth year of U-M’s alumni student recruitment program in Hong Kong, with alumni targeting 25 area high schools. There are opportunities for more alumni to volunteer by supporting these schools and explore adding others. Alumni student recruiters personalize the U-M for prospective students and help with the decision-making process. Alumni also participate in area college fairs. One of the most popular is the Hong Kong International School’s fair, hosted this year on October 9 at 7 p.m. Almost all of the top universities in the US and Canada are represented by enthusiastic alumni. More alumni in the U-M booth would be most welcome. For more information, contact George Wong, ’72, MSE’81, at georgewong@kinwell.com.

U-M’s Ross School of Business Asia Pacific Executive Education Program in Hong Kong is now offering fall programs and the 2009 calendar is coming together. Classes will be open in a range of subjects, from leadership development to marketing to account management and many others. In-house and custom programs are also available throughout Asia. Contact Director John Chen at johnchen@umich.edu for more information.

Shanghai

UM’s Ross School of Business will host an information session on Saturday, October 18, in the Pudong Shangri-la Hotel. This is a good opportunity for school representatives and alumni to meet with prospective students. Alumni panelists are needed for the panel discussion and to answer questions; contact Kenneth Feng, MBA’06, at fengkc@hotmail.com.

Two new local alumni recruiters, Marco Wu and Haibin Wang, are now working with 25 high schools in the area to help recruit students and orient newly admitted students to U-M. Schools include High School of Fudan University, Xiang Ming High School, SMIC Private High School and many more. More volunteers are always welcome to assist with these schools and others that are good prospects for U-M. For more information and to become a volunteer, visit www.umalumni.com/recruitment or contact Phyllis Taylor, AAUM’s alumni student recruiting coordinator, at phtaylor@umich.edu. Marco (marco.wu@citi.com) and Haibin (jerrywanghb@gmail.com) are also willing to answer questions and welcome you to activities they are considering.

Local events and contacts

For additional alumni contacts in China, please feel welcome to call upon alumni listed at http://alumni.umich.edu/china/contacts.php.

 Did You Know? 

Most Chinese like the country's current path

Most people in China think the country is headed in the right direction, according to the 2008 Pew Global Attitudes Survey in China. Of those surveyed, 86 percent say they are satisfied. Australia, with 61 percent of its residents saying they are satisfied, was second-highest of the 24 nations surveyed. Despite the high confidence in China, though, people still have economic concerns about issues such as rising prices, corruption and the growing gap between the rich and poor. The survey provides many more details about Chinese attitudes about life in the country.

This is a special issue of eTrueBlue: China, our newsletter communication for University of Michigan alumni in China.

As the Chinese Relations program continues to evolve, our goal is to update you on our efforts to build a global program that benefits the University and its faculty and students. If you would like to be on the permanent eTrueBlue: China mailing list, please send an email request to dgallo@umich.edu.

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