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Indiana University: From Beijing to Bloomington
Radio Commentary of
President Michael A. McRobbie
Recorded in Beijing
December 1, 2007
I am talking to you from Beijing China. All around me is evidence of the remarkable growth that has transformed China in less than 30 years from a country paralyzed by the Cultural Revolution to a dynamic, thriving society.
China’s transformation also reminds us of the vital importance of education in the lives of young people. Whether they go on to become artists, entrepreneurs, or professionals IU students are the leaders of tomorrow. They must develop a global understanding in order to reach the pinnacle of success. They must be prepared for the competition that comes in an increasingly borderless world. But they must also be ready for the opportunities.
So too must Indiana University be prepared for the opportunities afforded by international understanding and collaboration. Such opportunities are at the heart of my visit to China.
Just a few days ago, I was in Hangzhou. The Chinese call this a small city—only 7 million inhabitants—and the area is known as China’s Silicon Valley. Key to the development of technology here has been Zhejiang University, one of the top five universities in China.
This is the 25th anniversary of Indiana University’s formal relationship with Zhejiang University and on this visit we signed an agreement extending the relationship for another five years. This year, incidentally, is also the 20th anniversary of the sister relationship between the Chinese province of Zhejiang—one of the three wealthiest in the country—and the state of Indiana.
This trip is truly an historic occasion. It marks the first-ever symposium on research commercialization jointly conducted by Indiana University and Zhejiang University. Leaders of both institutions compared their different approaches to areas such as advanced technology, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and the commercialization of intellectual property developed by university researchers.
In addition to our visit to Zhejiang University, members of the IU delegation also visited Fudan University, East Central Normal University, the Beijing Foreign Studies University, as well as a number of study abroad program sites where I even had the opportunity to meet with an IU student studying in Beijing. Each of these visits is focused on ensuring that Indiana University continues to provide the highest quality education to all of its students no matter where they are studying. I also met with enthusiastic IU Chinese alumni in Shanghai and Beijing. They retain deep affection for IU and credit their success to the excellent education they received here.
IU’s emphasis on international engagement as shown by our collaboration with Zhejiang University, and so many other universities around the world, has clear benefits for the state of Indiana. Our international students bring more than $106 million annually to the Hoosier economy. As the state’s economic life becomes increasingly dependent on global trade and cooperation, IU is a strong resource for the larger business community. In fact, Indiana University represents the single largest repository of international expertise in the state.
With more than $21 billion in international exports, the state of Indiana ranks 11th in the nation for the revenues generated from the sale of our products abroad. We rank fifth in the nation for growth in international exports. Clearly, this is an essential and growing aspect of our economy. That China is important to this economy is without question.
Looking around Beijing, I am reminded that China’s modernization has not been without problems, but I am also reminded of the hope and possibilities that are nurtured by education.
