During the spring vacation, Pres. Chang Horng-jihn led a delegation touring around 8 universities throughout Mainland China between March 29 and April 5. Among his achievements, just to name a few: he has signed a memorandum affidavit with Beijing University and Shanghai Sciences & Engineering University respectively; signed an academic exchange intention affidavit with Chinese People University, Beijing and Finance and Business College, Shantung; held a joint seminar with Qing Hwa University, Beijing and Finance and Business College, Shantung, respectively.

To be exact, on April 1, in the morning, a conference jointly sponsored by Qing Hwa University, Beijing and College of Management, TKU was held, the title of which was called “2002 Symposium on Management Sciences and Enterprising Decision-making for Both Sides of China”. A total of 42 papers were delivered. A conference of similar nature called “The Sixth Seminar on Management Sciences and Decision Making for Both Sides of China” sponsored by Department of Accounting, TKU and Shantung Financial Business College was held. In the afternoon, same day, Pres. Chang led two V.P.’s: Drs. Feng Chao-kang and Flora C.I. Chang, Prof. Chen Ting-kuo, Dean, College of Management and Prof. Han Yao-lung, Director, Education Extension Center, to visit Beijing University, and signed an Agreement Memorandum Affidavit with her. In the future, both universities will implement joint research on interested subjects as well as developing multiple exchange programs between faculties and staffs.

A special note of appreciation should be made to Prof. Kong Hsing-long, a TKU alumnus, concurrently Professor of Accounting, National Accounting College, Beijing, without whose genuine help and tireless effort, Pres. Chang’s mission in Beijing could not accomplish so much as it did this time.

Earlier, on March 29, at the invitation of University of Sciences and Engineering, Shanghai, Pres. Chang had paid them a visit, and signed an Exchange Affidavit with their President Chen Kang-min and in the afternoon, Pres Chang and his entourage visited their Hu Jiang Business and Engineering Management College downtown campus. Our President was impressed with many new-fangled equipments as well as their convenient location. Here, both sides already foresaw the potential of university extension programs in the future

The TKU delegation continued their itineraries from Shanghai to Shantung and they visited Jinan and Qingdao; members include Dr. Feng Chao-kang, V.P. for Academic Affairs, Prof. Chen Ting-kuo, Dean, College of Management, Prof. Tsai Hsin-fu, Dean, College of Technology, Prof. Wang Chu-ching, Chair, Department of Business Administration and Dr. Wang Kuo-kang, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting. Prof. Xu Jian-pei of Qingtao University and Dean Lu Xi-yue of Shantung Finance and Business College had held separate talks with Pres. Chang about the possible cooperation projects in the future. When in Jinan, Dean Lu Xi-yue and Pres. Chang had signed an affidavit agreeing on sharing the intention for future cooperation. (As early as in 1997, Qingdao University had already signed an exchange affidavit with us.)

On March 31, the TKU delegation led by Pres. Chang flew to Beijing from Jinan and they were greeted with a dinner party by the host Pres. Chang Li-quan of the Capital Economy/Commerce University. The following day, on April 2, the same conference with the title of “The Sixth Seminar on Accounting and Management for Both Sides of China” was held at the university.

On April 1, a conference jointly sponsored by Qing Hwa University and TKU entitled “2002 Symposium on Management Sciences and Enterprising Decision Making on Both Sides of China” was held in College of Management, Qing Hwa University. Pres. Chang gave a speech during the opening ceremony. Then, the TKU delegation visited Chinese People University at their invitation. During the occasion, Pres. Chang took time to sign an affidavit with their Pres. Ji Bao-cheng. Both sides expressed their intentions of exercising exchange programs in the future.

Their last leg of trip was extended to Xin Jiang where they visited University of Xin Jiang. Though it is located in a frontier town, the trip was worthwhile because the university is noted for her research on biochemistry, genes and strength of materials projects.