Chancellor Biddy Martin in Beijing on March 27. Copyright UW Communications.
In April, Chancellor Biddy Martin (‘85 PhD L&S) and a UW-Madison delegation returned from a 13-day trip to China. The trip included stops in Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The delegation met with Chinese education officials and alumni and visited numerous universities. Martin expressed optimism that the University’s presence and visibility in the world’s most populous nation is growing.
“I return with a heightened sense of urgency about our responsibility to engage with China,” she said. “Because of the extraordinary pace of change and development in China and the consequent and sometimes jarring juxtaposition of the ancient with the new [and] because of the extraordinary level of respect and courtesy with which we were treated.
“We have a range of commitments on which we want to act immediately, including the possibility of establishing parents’ organizations in Beijing and Shanghai. But our primary focus will be on the future and how to be strategic about our presence in China and our exchanges and collaborations with specific institutions.”
Chancellor Martin also hopes the University can work with the governor’s office and the Commerce Department to explore ways to create opportunities for attracting investment to the state.
An interview with Chancellor Martin plus photos and trip details are posted at www.chancellor.wisc.edu/china.