News

A Statement of Condolence from Bryant University's
U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute

The U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute at Bryant University extend deepest concern and condolence to the people of Sichuan province in China who are suffering in the wake of the region's devastating May 12 earthquake.

Though you are half a world away, we think of you as our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, and our partners in academic and cultural exchange. We hope for a swift recovery from the tragic loss of life and livelihood. We will also do whatever we can to help with your courageous ongoing efforts of rescue and recovery.

The immediate and long term costs associated with this disaster are enormous and our friends at Bryant have asked us what they can do to help. Working with the President’s Office, the Division of University Advancement, as well as individual faculty and students at Bryant, we have set up the USCI China Earthquake Relief Fund that will contribute to the relief and to rebuild educational facilities in the area. We encourage all members of the Bryant community to extend a helping hand by making a gift.

The U.S.-China Institute at Bryant University raising funds to help China’s schools recover from the recent earthquake

The challenges facing the people of Sichuan province impacted by the May 12 earthquake in China are enormous.  From relief efforts to rebuilding, there is a tremendous need for aid as families and villages struggle with the reality of widespread devastation and loss. 

Friends, alumni, parents, faculty, and students of Bryant University and beyond have asked how they can help the people of Sichuan province.  In response, Bryant’s U.S.-China Institute has established the USCI China Earthquake Relief Fund, focusing especially on the needs of the province’s students and schools.  China's media have reported that more than 7,000 school rooms in the province were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake.  As an educational institution with academic and cultural ties to several Chinese universities and organizations, Bryant feels a special calling to assist in this way.

Bryant invites you to join our community by making a gift to aid the people affected by this terrible tragedy.  All gifts will go to the Sichuan province with 100% of the contributions given to those in need.  Gifts designated to this relief effort, payable to Bryant University, can be sent to Bryant University, 1150 Douglas Pike, Box 40, Smithfield, RI 02917 or made on line by clicking the link: Online Giving. For additional information and other questions, send e-mail to china@bryant.edu

Fund update: As of June 27, a total of $7,239.00 has been contributed by 79 donors.

Online Giving>>>

China Earthquake Relief Committee of RI
In addition to the U.S.-China Institute’s long-term project of raising funds to benefit Sichuan schools, it is partnering with the China Earthquake Relief Committee of Rhode Island’s efforts to raise funds that will be distributed through the China Red Cross. To contribute to that effort, click here.

Bryant named premier language and culture institute by Chinese government

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (November 28, 2006) - Bryant University has signed an agreement with the Chinese government that provides Bryant with $100,000 of seed money from China in the form of a grant and subsequent matching funds to support a premier language and culture institute. Bryant is one of only 14 such institutes in the United States.

The government of the People's Republic of China will also donate up to 3,000 volumes of books, CDs, and additional educational materials to Bryant. For each of the next five years, they will also sponsor two Chinese professors who will visit Bryant to enhance the university's Chinese language instruction and other China-related academic programs.

The agreement, signed by Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley and Director General Madam Xu Lin of the Chinese government's Ministry of Education, demonstrates a firm commitment by both parties to support the initiatives of the U.S.-China Institute at Bryant. The new program will enhance instructional programs in Chinese language and culture for students, the general public, and the business community.

"China is an economic powerhouse with amazing potential," said Machtley. "Bryant University appreciates the role China now plays and will continue to play in the future. Through Bryant's U.S.-China Institute and our other China-related academic programs, we will help provide students and businesspeople with language skills and cultural knowledge that are essential if they wish to successfully enter the China market."

The People's Republic of China estimates that by the year 2010, there will be approximately 100 million people worldwide learning Chinese as a foreign language.

The new partnership, which will be managed by the U.S.-China Institute, aligns with Bryant's five-year strategic plan to incorporate a global perspective throughout the educational experience, and continues to strengthen the leadership role that Bryant has taken in reaching out to China.

In 2005, the university established the U.S.-China Institute on campus to connect Bryant University with Chinese academic and business institutions. It has supported executive training for local businesses on China-related business issues and encourages closer ties between regional businesses and their counterparts in China. The U.S.-China Institute is directed by longtime Bryant Professor Hong Yang, a noted expert in environmental science and a public intellectual scholar selected by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

"The establishment of the new Confucius Institute on campus will further enhance Bryant's leadership position in China-related programs," said Yang.

Named after the revered Chinese thinker, educator and philosopher, the Confucius Institute will benefit individuals and businesses in Rhode Island and the region.

Additional U.S.-China Institute initiatives

Bryant University and the U.S.-China Institute have forged partnerships with Chinese universities and governmental agencies that have resulted in several educational and business exchange programs.

• Confucius exhibit: Bryant has signed an agreement to host a national exhibit of rare Confucius artifacts from China's Shandong Province. This is the first time this exhibit has toured the U.S. It is slated to open in 2008 in nine major U.S. cities.
• The Lingnan Foundation Student Exchange Program: Supported by a grant from the Lingnan Foundation, students from Bryant and China paired together to learn social, ethical, and environmental responsibilities of international corporations both in China and in the United States. Thirteen Bryant students and eleven Chinese students participated in the four-week program this past summer.
• Sophomore International Experience: In January 2007, 30 Bryant students will participate in a winter session program that will be led by the U.S.-China Institute. The students will participate in a pre-tour educational program and will make a presentation at the conclusion. Participants will explore cultural, environmental, and business sites in Beijing, Guilin, and Shanghai.
• Extended Summer Study in China: Open to students at Bryant and at other universities in the United States, this program allows American students to conduct short-term Chinese language and culture studies at Chinese universities. The summer study opportunity can be extended to a semester-long study abroad program in China.
• Faculty Visits to China: This program is designed so that Bryant faculty can travel to China to conduct research or joint teaching through sabbatical leaves or short-term lecture tours.
• Joint Degree Programs: The U.S.-China Institute is in the process of establishing long-term partnerships with select Chinese universities. A Joint Master's Degree in Environmental Administration between Bryant University and China's University of Geosciences will create an exchange program for Chinese students in their final year of the Master's program that will provide them with unique skills. In cooperation with Capital Normal University, a Joint Degree in Actuarial Mathematics will enable students in China or the United States to gain valuable new perspectives on how to approach mathematics during a year-long exchange. Faculty will also have opportunities for joint research as well as exchange programs.
• China Seminar Series: This monthly forum invites top China scholars to Bryant for a full- day visit that includes a public lecture, individual interaction with Bryant faculty, and a tea reception with Bryant students. The seminar will run through the academic year.

***********

Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley, with Director of Bryant’s U.S.-China Institute Hong Yang and members of the Board of Trustees, completed a 10-day visit to China in November.

Highlights of the trip:

• The signing of an agreement with the Shandong Province government for Bryant to be the host of a U.S. tour of an exhibit featuring Confucius and his impact on modern Chinese culture and education. This will be the first time these artifacts will be shown in the United States. The exhibit will open at Bryant in 2007 and is expected to be in nine major U.S. cities.
• The signing of an agreement with Capital Normal University in Beijing for further academic collaboration and student exchange. Capital Normal is renowned for its international programs and its growing actuarial math department.
• The opening of the Bryant-China University of Geosciences distance learning technology classroom in Wuhan. Students in Wuhan and Bryant will be able to participate in classes held at each location via a live Web-based teleconference link. Trial classes started this week with Chinese students participating in three Bryant classes.
• Students from Lingnan College of the Zhongshan University in Guangzhou will travel to Bryant this summer for two weeks. They will join 15 Bryant students and 15 students from other American institutions to study the social, ethical, and environmental issues of international corporations. All the students will then travel to China for two weeks of additional study and site visiting.
• President Machtley was one of two university presidents invited to the annual meeting of the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, placing Bryant among CEOs from the top 50 businesses around the globe.