By: Roy Aker

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler and members of his delegation returned from their tour of China on Sunday after signing academic partnership agreements with 10 top-ranked universities in Greater China.

Of those 10, the Confucius Institute and National Yang-Ming University were the only two renewing existing agreements.

The agreement is intended to “establish cooperative academic relationships” between the University and institutions in Greater China, according to the agreement text. Based on funding and interest from the institutions involved, this could include student and faculty member exchanges and joint activities. 

Even though the agreement doesn’t require a student exchange, Global Programs and Strategy Alliance communications director Jennifer Schulz said she expects many of the universities will participate in one.

The agreements went into effect immediately and can be re-negotiated and renewed every three years.

According to the University’s Storify account, which was updated throughout the trip, the renewal of the agreement with National Yang-Ming University focused on the University of Minnesota’s “nationally ranked strengths in informatics and nursing scholarship.”

Schulz said Yang-Ming wants to exchange more students with the University and potentially share research programs. The agreements will make it easier for faculty members and graduate students from both schools to collaborate on research, she said.

Students at one of the new partner institutions, Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University, presented Kaler with a gift — a caricature of himself.

“He loved it,” Schulz said.