Calendar 2001–02

The University 73 Liaison with the World of Learning The University has since its inception in 1963 striven to enhance the cross- fertilization of Chinese and Western academic and cultural traditions. To this end, the University has over the years established and maintained relationships with a large number of institutions the world over, including universities, research institutes, centres of learning, governmental agencies, and in particular, regional and international associations of universities. It is also an active member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning, the International Association of Universities, the European Association for International Education, the US Institute of International Education, and the Association of University Presidents of China (AUPC). The University has also been serving as one of the secretariat offices to AUPC since its founding in 1997. International Links The University’s first exchange programme was launched in 1965 with the University of California system. Since then student exchange programmes have been established with nearly 70 institutions in other parts of the world. Apart from the UC system, exchange partners include Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania in the USA, Sophia University and Kyushu University in Japan, Yonsei University in Korea, and the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto in Canada. There are also exchange agreements with institutions in France, Spain, Denmark, the UK, Australia, and Switzerland. The University is also a member of the International Student Exchange Programme. All the above exchange programmes are supported and administered by the Office of Academic Links (OAL), which also runs a popular International Asian Studies Programme (IASP) that has already attracted over 2,200 students from 35 countries to study at CUHK since 1977. To add value to the learning experience and to promote inter-cultural exchange within the CUHK community, the OAL has also organized a variety of extracurricular activities for local and international students. These include monthly dinner talks, the ‘Teaching in China’ programme, and field trips. The international character of the University has been significantly enhanced by foreign government contributions to a number of instructional programmes. In addition, staff exchanges and development programmes are maintained through agreements with respective governments and exchange organizations. Visiting lectureships have been provided by the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan; many graduates of the University have also obtained fellowships for advanced studies in these and other countries. The University has also benefited from the support of various foundations for staff development, research, scholarships, and exchange programmes with an international dimension. These foundations include the Lingnan Foundation, the Asia Foundation, the Yale-China Association, the Harvard-Yenching Institute,