Stevens and East China University sign education pact

Mutually beneficial links with educational institutions outside the United States are ushering in a new era of global understanding and cooperation for many American universities, including Stevens Institute of Technology.

Stevens and East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), located in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, recently signed an educational pact that will allow for student and faculty exchanges as well as many opportunities for cooperative projects, particularly in the academic areas that the two institutions have in common.

Dr. Joseph J. Moeller Jr., Stevens' Vice President for The Graduate School and Research Services, and Prof. Zhang Dongshan, Vice President for International Cooperation at ECUST, have signed a joint letter of understanding that begins what both hope is a long relationship with a bright future. During a meeting in April with faculty and administrators on Stevens' campus in Hoboken, N.J., ECUST President Wang Xingyu and his delegation held talks to finalize the understanding and discuss ways to work together.

"Stevens has been active in seeking and establishing substantial linkages with other institutions outside our national borders," says Moeller. "Obviously, there are benefits for all involved. For Stevens, which wants to attract extremely high-quality students, these linkages have the potential of increasing our pool of excellent student applicants, among many other important advantages."

Moeller notes that approximately 100 of Stevens' graduate and undergraduate students are Chinese citizens, and the numbers have been steadily increasing in the last few years.

Through such cooperative arrangements, internationally diverse educational institutions can benefit from each other in many ways, particularly when their interests are as well matched as those of Stevens and ECUST.

During their recent meetings, Moeller and Dongshan explored various possibilities now available to them, including: exchanges of information, joint research by faculty and students, collaborations involving the two institutions, joint seminars on special academic topics of interest to both institutions, web-based distance learning programs, and the possibility of pooling resources to provide customized technological business solutions to industry problems in both the U.S. and China.

ECUST aims to produce science and technology leaders who will shape the future of the Chinese economy and business environment with advanced integrated skills. More about the institution may be found at its website at www.ecust.edu.cn.

Stevens seeks to foster leaders in many professions through an educational environment called "Technogenesis," a term trademarked recently by the university. The term refers to "the educational environment in which students, faculty and industry jointly nurture new technologies from concept to realization." This new model for higher education is already distinguishing Stevens among the nation's top universities in technological education.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870 and celebrating 140 Years of Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University TM , lives at the intersection of industry, academics and research.  The University's students, faculty and partners leverage their collective real-world experience and culture of innovation, research and entrepreneurship to confront global challenges in engineering, science, systems and technology management.

Based in Hoboken, N.J. and with a location in Washington, D.C., Stevens offers baccalaureate, master’s, certificates and doctoral degrees in engineering, the sciences and management, in addition to baccalaureate degrees in business and liberal arts.  Stevens has been recognized by both the US Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Excellence in the areas of systems engineering and port security research. The University has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students with almost 450 faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as strategic partnerships with industry leaders, governments and other universities around the world.  Additional information may be obtained at www.stevens.edu and www.stevens.edu/press.