Vice President Zheng Wen Led Delegation to Visit 

Universities in the U.S.

To further consolidate the foundation of exchanges and cooperation between our 

university and relevant U.S. institutions, expand channels for international education, 

and enhance the quality and efficiency of international cooperation programs, a 

delegation led by Vice President Zheng Wen visited the United States from September 

22 to 27. The delegation paid successive visits to the University of North Alabama (UNA)

 and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), engaging in in‑depth discussions 

on core topics including joint education, talent training, faculty visiting programs, 

academic exchanges, and industry‑university integration, so as to build a broader 

platform for future cooperation between the institutions.

At the University of North Alabama, the delegation was warmly received by President 

Ken Kitts, Provost and Executive Vice President Brien Smith, Vice President Hu Po, 

and other university leaders. During the meeting, Brien Smith extended a warm 

welcome to the delegation, noting that UNA highly values its partnership with our 

university. He expressed the expectation that both sides would build on existing 

cooperation to deepen collaboration in platform co‑construction, joint talent 

development, disciplinary advancement, and faculty exchange, systematically plan 

cooperation priorities, and jointly elevate the international education standards of both

universities. Zheng Wen reviewed the history of cooperation between the two 

institutions, stating that based on a long‑standing and stable partnership, significant

achievements have been made in international talent development, mutual learning of

educational philosophies, and innovation in teaching methods. He emphasized the 

hope that both sides would further consolidate cooperation foundations, seek new 

breakthroughs in joint disciplinary development, faculty training platform construction,

two‑way student and faculty exchange, and academic and research collaboration, and 

advance cooperation toward deeper and higher‑quality development.

Focusing on key joint programs, the delegation held dedicated discussions with Katie 

Kinney, Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, Matthew Green, 

Associate Dean, Doug Barrett, Dean of the Sanders College of Business and Technology, 

and Jana Beaver, Associate Dean. The two sides reviewed progress on the China‑Foreign

Joint Education Program in Early Childhood Education and the “3+2” Bachelor‑Master

Articulation Program in Financial Management, conducted in‑depth discussions on 

optimizing collaborative teaching, co‑building curriculum resources, and improving 

quality assurance systems, and agreed to establish a training mechanism for dual 

enhancement of academic ability and comprehensive competence, laying a solid 

academic and cultural foundation for students pursuing further studies in the United 

States. 

Zheng Wen stressed that joint programs serve as the core link in inter‑university

exchanges. Going forward, efforts should focus on the goals of joint discipline 

development, resource sharing, and collaborative talent cultivation, broadening the

international horizons of teachers and students through diverse forms such as 

collaborative teaching, faculty visiting and research, student exchange, and short‑term 

study tours. Meanwhile, high‑quality educational resources should be continuously

integrated, program connotation strengthened, and sustainable development of both

universities’ education promoted through quality improvement of joint programs.

To learn advanced experience in building teacher education practice bases at U.S. 

universities, the delegation conducted a special investigation at UNA’s affiliated schools,

focusing on the environmental design, teaching facility configuration, and student 

teacher internship mechanisms of the affiliated kindergartens and primary schools. 

Through on‑site classroom observations and in‑depth interviews with the school’s 

management team, the delegation systematically learned about UNA’s distinctive 

models and innovative measures for developing student teachers’ practical abilities, 

providing valuable reference for optimizing our university’s practical teaching system 

for student teachers. 

During the visit, the delegation also met with student representatives from our 

university studying at UNA, inquired in detail about their academic progress and 

daily life, fully affirmed their proactive adaptation to overseas environments 

and active participation in academic exchanges, and encouraged them to cherish 

the learning opportunities, enhance their capabilities in diverse dimensions, and 

act as people‑to‑people ambassadors for inter‑university exchanges.

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the delegation focused on investigating 

practices in building industry‑education‑integrated campuses, functional area planning, 

and the operation of comprehensive student service centers. It was learned that UAB 

integrates student life services, academic exchange support, mental health care, and

administrative services with industry‑education practice, forming a 

community‑oriented,comprehensive campus operation model and an educational 

ecosystem where “space equals education.” Delegation members noted that this 

integrated model provides a practical example for our university to advance student

management reform and enhance the efficiency of student community services. 

Going forward, relevant experience can be adapted to optimize campus functional 

layout and better support student growth and educational development.

This visit to the United States not only further enhanced mutual understanding 

between our university and its U.S. partner institutions, but also deepened 

consensus on cooperation and expanded collaboration space. Through a series of

exchanges, both sides clarified key priorities and implementation paths for future 

cooperation, injecting new momentum into our university’s pursuit of high‑level 

educational opening‑up and the improvement of international education standards 

and quality.

Relevant officials and faculty representatives from the Academic Affairs Department 

and the School of Educational Science accompanied the visit.