"I was slightly disappointed that in the speech of the Dutch
ambassador to China Xi'an
Jiaotong University was not mentioned". He Changzhong (the
deputy director of the university's department of international
cooperation) says it with a smile, but he is serious
nevertheless.
At the energetic Sino-Dutch Higher Education Forum, hosted by
NUFFIC, He Changzhong explains why Xi'an should not be
overlooked. "Xi'an is the cradle of Chinese civilization and
culturally the gateway to the real China. Some people describe New
York city as the world's crossroads; Xi'an has the same function
for China."
China in space
Jiaotong University is the second oldest university of China,
dating back to 1896. Jiaotong was a founding member of China's Ivy
League, the so-called 'C9': China's nine most prestigious
institutions of higher education. "One third of all aerospace
research is done here: We actually contributed to the recent first manned
space flight", He Changzhong adds.
It's He Changzhong's first trip to The Netherlands and he is
rather impressed by the environmental protection he sees around him
and the Dutch dedication to make the country one of the leading
countries in the world.
Jiaotong University is highly interested in the match making
programme offered by NUFFIC and its Chinese counterpart CEAI,
although it has already developed many ties with European
counterparts. "We have joined several Erasmus Mundus programmes and
are cooperating with the University of Gent, among others", He
Changzhong explains.
Great plans for Xi'an
The vision for Jiaotong University can be traced back to the
government plans for Xi'an: the city should develop into an
'international metropolis', and higher education plays an important
part. "Our university already has some 1.700 international students
on our campuses." On a total of 30.000 students, that percentage is
still relatively low.
That explains why the university has employed He Changzhong, a
former Chinese diplomat to the US, to become the 'university
ambassador'. "I rather talk to you than have lunch. Besides I'm on
a diet", He Changzhong concludes with a smile.