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, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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