October 20, 2006
Belmont Hosts Chinese Delegation
On Thursday, October 19, Belmont University hosted the official provincial delegation from Taiyuan, Shaanxi Province of the People's Republic of China, to finalize a Sister City partnership with Nashville, Tenn. The Sister City relationship provides Belmont students the opportunity to network with both local and Chinese government agencies and business firms seeking to trade with China. It also provides the university a provincial and city-level introduction to leading universities in Taiyuan, a city of 9 million people and capital of the Shanxi Province.
Dr. Howard H. Cochran, Jr., Professor of International Economics, gave the keynote address entitled, “Nashville-Taiyuan: Creating a Future Together.” Cochran has traveled extensively throughout the world, and has been traveling to China with Belmont students since 1996. He is a sought after advisor by companies seeking to sell, source, or invest in China. His article, China Can Benefit You, will be published by the state later this month.
Joan Li, former instructor of Chinese at Belmont, provided the translation for the event.
Belmont has significant international studies programs, including a Center for Asian Studies Center, directed by Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, which promotes Asian studies and research on campus. The Center has provided funding for faculty and student travel to Asia. Belmont has new programs in international business, economics, and politics and is proposing an Asian Studies major and a Chinese minor.
Sister Cities is an organization that seeks to “build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development.” The Nashville-Taiyuan partnership will strive to reach these goals by creating “an atmosphere in which economic and community development can be implemented and strengthened,” and by stimulating “environments through which communities will creatively learn, work, and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects” (www.sister-cities.org). While in the state, the members of the delegation will meet with the State of Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commission and with Mayor Bill Purcell.
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