NC State in China Journal
May 29 - Dan Solomon
Since our last visit in 1999, bleak and modest city streets jammed with traffic have become landscaped expressways jammed with traffic. And to the mix of traditional imperial Chinese and blocky Soviet-era architecture have been added modern steel and glass high-rise buildings where once stood alleys lined with housing compounds surrounding courtyards.
The air pollution for which Beijing is well known seems to have abated somewhat over the last eight years. A partial explanation is that the very old and run-down cars that were the norm in 1999 have been dramatically replaced by quite recent models, and the old smoke-spewing trucks and heavy industry have been banished to beyond the city limits.
Peking University, known to the locals as Bei Da, is China’s largest four-year institution - about the same size as NC State. It is spread over several campuses and has diversified its offerings beyond traditional strengths in the liberal arts and sciences by adding programs in engineering and medicine.
Some areas of common interest include biomedical engineering, energy and attracting more women to careers in science and engineering. One opportunity for partnership is the 300 exchange scholarships provided by the Chinese government to Peking University to support students’ attendance at international universities.
When Chancellor Oblinger asked Provost Lin what he saw as the greatest challenge to his university, we were surprised at how similar his response was to what ours might have been. Over the last 30 years, universities in China have moved from an exclusive focus on teaching to add programs of research and graduate education. While the government provides support for the teaching, the university must attract external funds to build the research infrastructure and to conduct the research. Unlike the U.S., research grants in China do not carry the overhead funds that we use to support the infrastructure.
The NC State group then split up for separate visits. I met with the dean and faculty of the School of Physics, which actually includes seven departments and institutes including the first Physics department in China, established in 1913. The session ended with a tour of some of their well-equipped laboratory facilities for research in optics and in nanomaterials.
In the afternoon, we rejoined the Research Triangle delegation for a visit to Lenovo, the international technology company that acquired the IBM personal computing division. Lenovo’s principal operations are centered in Beijing and Morrisville, NC, just outside of Raleigh. The company was born in 1984 out of the work of a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences whose first product was a Chinese character card for personal computers. Lenovo now has the largest share of the China PC market and is number four in the world market.
We were shown innovative new computing, communication and multimedia products nearing readiness for the market with design features driven by both function and fashion. Lenovo will design specialized computers for customers’ specialized applications. The company has stepped up its brand recognition effort and is a major sponsor of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Possible interactions with the university include student internships and employment of NC State graduates who might wish to spend some time in China. Engineering Dean Louis Martin-Vega invited Lenovo’s chief technology officer to speak at NC State during an upcoming visit to their Morrisville facility.
NCSU delegation meeting with Provost Lin at Peking University
NCSU and RTP delegation at Lenovo