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Office of Global Affairs

China Center Ribbon Cutting and Reception

 

China Center Ribbon Cutting and ReceptionOn November 10, the China Center officially opened its doors with a reception and ribbon cutting in the Charles B. Wang Center. Vice Provost for Global Affairs and China Center Founding Director Jun Liu was joined by Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. and Deputy Consul General Yumin Zhao of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York to lead the festivities and cut the ribbon celebrating the new office.
The China Center will serve as a base for recruiting and nurturing high-achieving graduate and undergraduate international students from China, developing alumni chapters in major Chinese cities, deepening and coordinating strategic partnerships with Chinese institutions, and offering short-term training programs for our partners in China.  It will serve as a model for peer institutions and other international populations.
“We asked ourselves, what can we do better to serve [the Chinese international student] population?  And how can we most effectively strengthen our relationships with our partners around the world?” President Stanley remarked.  “The answer was the China Center, a centralized hub for all our China activities.”
Deputy Consul General Zhao extended his congratulations on behalf of the Chinese Consulate in New York, noting that China is placing an emphasis on collaboration with the U.S., and Stony Brook University and the China Center are at the forefront of that effort.
Although the doors just officially opened, the China Center has been actively working to fulfill its mission.  As Dr. Liu noted at the event, “The China Center hosted the first national conference on the success of Chinese international students last April, and is already recruiting in China for the Fall 2018 semester with the Graduate School and Undergraduate Admissions.  The first training groups from partner universities are set to come in December, and the office is already planning major events this April for newly admitted international students, their parents, and Stony Brook University Alumni in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou respectively.”
President Stanley, Deputy Consul General Zhao, and Dr. Liu were joined by the China Center Advisory Board to cut the ribbon of the new office, and guests were invited to view the space and enjoy Chinese cuisine and entertainment provided by international students from the Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA) dressed in traditional outfits.  The students played traditional Chinese instruments and music for guests, and demonstrated Chinese tea ceremony, paper cutting, and calligraphy. 
The China Center’s inception also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at Stony Brook.  As part of the celebration, the China Center and Confucius Institute anniversary were announced to a sold-out crowd of students, faculty, staff, and community members at the Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin, China hosted by the Staller Center on November 11.