From April 26 through May 2, the delegation of Hohai University with 6 members, led by President Hui Xu, visited six universities and one research institute in Canada and U.S.
On April 27, President Xu and his delegation paid a visit to University of Toronto and met with Professor Vivek Goel, Vice-President for Research and Innovation, Vinitha Gengatharan, Director of International Relations. Both parties expressed expectations for more collaborations on scientific research, academic communication and joint postgraduate program. The delegation was also invited to visit the Laboratory of Rock Mechanics with the world first-class standard.
The delegation visited University of Waterloo on April 28, President Feridun Hamdullahpur met with them. Both partners spoke highly the cooperation between the universities in the past years and called on more research collaboration on joint international lab, joint application for international research funds, joint “2+2” Undergraduate Degree Program and “3+2” Postgraduate Degree Program. President Xu also invited President Feridun to attend the centennial anniversary of Hohai in October 2015.
On the following day, the delegation paid a visit to UCLA in the United States. Vice Provost Kathryn A. Atchison met with President Xu, outlined the “3+1+1”Degree Student Exchange Program in Water Resources Engineering, and came to an agreement that Natural Disasters and Water Science Academic Workshop will be held in Hohai University during mid-July. Benefited from the “3+1+1” program, 4 HHU undergraduate students have been enrolled by UCLA, getting bachelor degree from HHU one year later and M.Sc. degree from UCLA on successful completion of the required credits.
Hohai delegation also visited California State University at Northridge in the afternoon of April 30. The two parties reviewed the collaboration of academic staff exchange and international business consultation and professional training, and discussed other programs of mutual interests to work together, including personal training through joint research project, international conference co-organization and inviting professors to Hohai for MBA and EMBA program. Also taking part in the meeting were Kenneth R. Lord, Dean of College of Business and Economics, Associate Dean Christopher G. Jones and John H. Binkley.
The delegation visited the Desert Research Institute as the last stop in U.S. on May 1. President of DRI Stephen G. Wells and President Xu outlined the long-term cooperation between both sides, and signed the operational agreement of Joint International Research Laboratory of Global Change and Water Cycle including the names of the first International Advisory Council and Management Committee for the Laboratory.
