The University of Minnesota recently opened its first international office in Beijing. The grand opening was attended by key University leaders and faculty, University partners from Minnesota and China, University alumni from Beijing and beyond, and other distinguished guests including education officials from China. The University of Minnesota recently opened its first international office in Beijing. The grand opening was attended by key University leaders and faculty, University partners from Minnesota and China, University alumni from Beijing and beyond, and other distinguished guests including education officials from China.
 
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CAPTION:  Unveiling the office sign were (left to right), Yongwei Zhang, Mr. Zheng, Joan Brzezinski, Meredith McQuaid and Robert Jones
 
University Senior Vice President for System Academic Administration, Robert Jones, Associate Vice President and Dean of International Programs, Meredith McQuaid; China Center Director, Yongwei Zhang; and Commissioner of Beijing Municipal Committee of Education, Mr. Zheng Dengwen gave remarks as part of the ceremony.  Following the presentation guests were invited to a dinner.
 
Included in the 60 guests that attended the grand opening was Dave Li, Vice President of Global Learning Alliance, an affiliated company of China Insight that provides a multitude of services to Chinese families that are interested in having their children pursue an education in the United States.
 
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CAPTION:  Dave Li, Vice President of Global Learning Alliance with Yongwei Zhang, Director of the China Center.
 
The office will focus on undergraduate recruitment and alumni relations as well as offer services to University faculty, staff, and departments to support their work in China. Services include: use of meeting space, office support (such as copying, internet access, and cell phone usage), in-city arrangements and airport pickup, and translation. The China Center is overseeing this office's administration.
 
The University of Minnesota’s Beijing Office was established in 2009 as the institution’s first international extension office. In recognition of the more than 8,000 Chinese alumni that have graduated from the University since the first three Chinese scholars enrolled in 1914, the Beijing Office is envisioned to be a critical resource to further develop educational, cultural, and social collaborations among China, the University and the State of Minnesota.
 
The work of the Beijing office focuses on three core areas:
To recruit top academic talent from China’s key high schools and universities to attend the University of Minnesota To serve as a bridge between the University of Minnesota and leading schools in China in order to facilitate educational collaboration.
To improve the alumni network for the thousands of University of Minnesota graduates residing in China.
 
The office is staffed by a coordinator and an assistant. The office coordinator, Wanling Qu, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and brings the experience of working with institutions of higher education in both China and the United States.
 
The University of Minnesota Beijing office can be contacted through e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .