In April, a team from Rutgers Global embarked on a comprehensive visit to China for the first time since the Covid pandemic to engage with our newly admitted students, alumni, and institutional partners. They visited six cities—Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Suzhou, and Wuhan—where they met with 20 partner institutions, hosted a series of alumni receptions, and, with the Rutgers enrollment management office, organized two new student events that drew 250 students and their families. Here are photos from the visit to China, including partner visits; alumni receptions; and new student events in Beijing and Shanghai.
The Rutgers team was led by Eric Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Physics, and Sarah Blackburn, Associate Director of International Admissions, who both presented to the audience of new students and their families at the events in Beijing and Shanghai. Students also had the opportunity to hear from Rutgers alumni, who shared stories of their time at the University as international students, and to meet up with each other before starting in the fall.
“We were very glad to have the opportunity to travel again in China and meet with our new students and their families to share with them all the benefits of a Rutgers education,” said Garfunkel. “Because of Covid, we have not been able to meet with our prospective and admitted students in person for a few years, and we have missed that opportunity to connect.”
The team also met with 20 partner institutions, including East China Normal University, South China University of Technology, Central University of Finance and Economics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Tsinghua University. The Rutgers delegation discussed various new and ongoing collaborations with these institutions, such as joint undergraduate and graduate degree programs, student training programs, and professional training programs. Garfunkel noted, “We were interested in both strengthening our existing partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration on this visit.”
In addition, Rutgers Global hosted alumni dinners in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Tianjin. These receptions provided a platform for our Rutgers international alums from a range of careers to network with each other, and reminisce about their experiences in New Jersey. They also served as an opportunity to explore new avenues for collaboration between Rutgers international alumni and the University. Garfunkel said, “We talked about working with our alums on providing internship opportunities to Rutgers students at their various companies as a way to strengthen our Rutgers global network.” Potential internships opportunities are being explored at companies including Accenture, KPMG, Merck, Mastercard, and HSBC, among others.
“For our first visit to China after the pandemic, we couldn’t have been more pleased with the warm welcome by our highly valued partner institutions, as well as the opportunity to connect in person with our new students and alumni community,” said Garfunkel. “This visit not only restored collaborative programs that were affected during the pandemic, but also explored deeper international cooperation and pushed to restore our global education exchange in a significant way.”