Engineering at Illinois and Zhejiang University partner on Joint Institute for Engineering

4/15/2016

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and its College of Engineering have accepted an invitation from Zhejiang University to form a joint engineering institute. Beginning in the Fall 2016, about 150 undergraduate students will study civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering at the Institute. The degrees these students receive will be built on Engineering at Illinois’ globally recognized curriculum.

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Joint Institute expected to be one of the largest educational partnerships with China for any U.S. institution

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and its College of Engineering have accepted an invitation from Zhejiang University to form a joint engineering institute. Beginning in the Fall 2016, about 150 undergraduate students will study civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering at the Institute. The degrees these students receive will be built on Engineering at Illinois’ globally recognized curriculum.

Chancellor Barbara Wilson and Jin Deshui, Chairman of the ZJU University Council, unveil a plaque commemorating establishment of the ZJU-UIUC Institute.
Chancellor Barbara Wilson and Jin Deshui, Chairman of the ZJU University Council, unveil a plaque commemorating establishment of the ZJU-UIUC Institute.
“People all over the world recognize that the way we teach engineering is second to none. And we recognize that the education and values that make America prosperous and influential need to be shared with other countries. The Joint Institute is a means of doing that,” said Barbara Wilson, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Joint Institute will be part of Zheijiang University’s new international campus in Haining, China. The international campus will bring together world-renowned programs in the liberal arts, the sciences, engineering, business, and biomedical sciences for students from around the world.

Students will receive a degree from Zhejiang University as well as a certification from Zhejiang University and the University of Illinois. The Joint Institute also plans to pursue a dual degree bachelor’s program and graduate degrees in the coming years.

Zhejiang University is considered one of the Top 5 universities in China. Like Illinois, it is a large, comprehensive university with a very strong engineering program.

“Zhejiang University is a world-class engineering institution, and this collaboration presents an amazing opportunity for us to expand Engineering at Illinois’ already substantial global presence,” said Andreas Cangellaris, dean of the College of Engineering at Illinois.

Chancellor Barbara Wilson presented a commemorative photo plaque of prominent Chinese meteorologist, geologist, and educator Chu Kochen to ZJU President Wu Zhaohui. A former president of Zhejiang University, Chu came to United States in 1910 to continue his education, graduating from College of Agriculture at Illinois in 1913.
Chancellor Barbara Wilson presented a commemorative photo plaque of prominent Chinese meteorologist, geologist, and educator Chu Kochen to ZJU President Wu Zhaohui. A former president of Zhejiang University, Chu came to United States in 1910 to continue his education, graduating from College of Agriculture at Illinois in 1913.
Students will be taught by faculty from Zhejiang University and from Illinois. Faculty will be trained to Illinois’ highest standards, and all new faculty members will complete a carefully designed, one-year development program.

This partnership will also create a unique study-abroad experience for Illinois students. They will have an opportunity to study with world-class institutions teaching other disciplines, while enrolling in the same engineering classes they would back home.

The Joint Institute expects to enroll about 150 undergraduate students in the first year and about 700 undergraduate students by its fifth year. That will make it larger than any current educational partnership with China for any U.S. institution.


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This story was published April 15, 2016.