February 8, 2017
The University of South Carolina has long-standing relationships with universities throughout China. These collaborations are critical to Global Carolina—USC’s effort to advance internationalization through student engagement, research collaborations, faculty exchanges, and other dual projects and programs.
One way the Global Carolina initiative, which is housed in the Office of the Provost and led by Vice Provost Allen Miller, has been exhibiting the importance of growing these relationships is through increasing the number of Chinese universities who are USC partners as well as the scope and depth of existing collaborations. For example, the Office of the Provost facilitated a visit by USC leadership members to mainland China and Taiwan last summer, and then USC hosted faculty and students from Guangxi Medical University in November and a leadership delegation from Henan University in early January 2017.
Asia, including China, is changing so quickly that it’s important to keep pace. USC is partnering with top-tier institutions, and it is gratifying to see our impact.
-President Harris Pastides
In January of this year, Global Carolina organized a trip to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to develop new and existing relationships between USC and four Chinese universities. The visiting delegation team included President Harris Pastides, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Joan Gabel, Vice Provost and Director of Global Carolina Allen Miller, Arnold School of Public Health Professor and SmartState Endowed Chair Xiaoming Li, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management Dean Haemoon Oh, Senior Associate Dean for International Programs and Partnerships at the Darla Moore School of Business Kendall Roth, Regional Director for Asia and Clinical Assistant Professor of International Business David Hudgens, and Regional Director for Global Carolina and Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Chin-Tser Huang.
“Asia, including China, is changing so quickly that it’s important to keep pace,” says Pastides. “USC is partnering with top-tier institutions, and it is gratifying to see our impact.”
These visits demonstrate USC’s ongoing commitment to prioritizing the continuation and growth of our relationships with Chinese universities [The map above depicts USC-Chinese collaborations.]. Though discussions cover a range of topics, two areas of mutual interest and overlap have emerged over time: health sciences (particularly public health and medicine) and business. Current and future opportunities for overlap in health sciences include student/faculty exchanges, research into various China national birth cohorts, and dual academic programs. USC’s No. 1 ranked international undergraduate and graduate (MBA) business programs both attract and benefit from our University’s Chinese ties.
“USC is committed to a comprehensive internationalization of the university, and the entire greater China region is a critical part of our strategy,” says Miller. "Our top ranked business and health sciences programs have been important in leading the way, but we have initiatives in Engineering, Arts, and Humanities throughout the region. We are also actively recruiting students from the area to come to USC.”
USC is committed to a comprehensive internationalization of the university, and the entire greater China region is a critical part of our strategy.
-Vice Provost Allen Miller
Stops on the recent fast-paced itinerary included a visit to Nanjing Medical University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong where USC already has well-established relationships. The depth of these relationships was exemplified by the warm welcome that the visiting team received from local government and Nanjing Medical University officials. USC is currently hosting medical and public health students through existing exchange programs, and senior leaders from Nanjing Medical University will visit USC this April. A later trip is planned for USC faculty mentors to attend the public health students’ thesis defenses and graduation. Similarly, USC and the Chinese University of Hong Kong have a close relationship in the health sciences and particularly through joint business programs, such as the International Business and Chinese Enterprise Program.
The team also visited the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen in mainland China and the University of Macau—both of which offer new opportunities for collaboration. Established in 2014, the Shenzhen campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is keen to develop new collaborations. Similarly, the University of Macau, which is the only public comprehensive university in Macau, was recently permitted by the Macao legislature to develop joint programs with overseas institutes. USC was one of the first universities to engage in such discussions with this rapidly growing school.
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