EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University President James Smith has embarked on a two-week trip to China, Taiwan and South Korea as he seeks to build further collaborations with the University and extend Eastern’s extensive efforts to recruit international students.

The trip runs from June 22 to July 7. President Smith will be accompanied on various parts of the trip by several other University administrators, including Kevin Kucera, vice president for enrollment management; Bill Shepard, vice president for advancement; Eva Ye, director of international admissions; and Connie Ruhl Smith, President Smith’s wife and director of development, international relations, for the EMU Foundation.

“I’m excited about this trip, which aligns with our strongly articulated goal of recruiting more international students to take advantage of Eastern’s exceptional academic programs in areas of great interest to these students,” President Smith said.

Highlights of the trip will include:

• June 25: An alumni event in Tianjin, China.

• June 26: An address to the graduating class of the Human Resources and Organizational Development master’s program at Tianjin University of Commerce Students (TJUC). The program is a collaboration between TJUC and the EMU College of Business and is overseen by professor Fraya Wagner-Marsh, director of the program at Eastern and Department Head for the Department of Management in the College of Business. The program now includes 12 courses, two thirds of which are taught by Eastern Michigan University professors.

• June 28: A signing of a collaboration agreement with Wuhan College.

• June 29: A visit to Keimyung University (KMU) in Daegu, South Korea. The day includes meetings with the president of the university, an alumni lunch, meetings with EMU stakeholders and students currently enrolled in the EMU/KMU dual degree program.

• July 2: Meeting with the president, senior administrators and visiting nursing students at Hung Kuang University in Taichung, Taiwan. President Smith will also give a TED Talk entitled “Life stories: Movement from classroom teacher to University President.”

President Smith, who begin his tenure at Eastern on July 1, 2016, is making his second trip to China representing Eastern Michigan.

Growing and nurturing partnerships

“That tells you how important such international collaborations and relationships are to Eastern and its vision for the future,” he said. “In today’s interconnected world, it’s absolutely essential we nurture and grow such partnerships, particularly with countries having vibrant and evolving educational and business communities, such as those in China, Taiwan and Korea.”

Since beginning at Eastern, President Smith has focused on expanding international enrollment. A centerpiece of that effort is the nationally recognized #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign, designed to make international students aware of how they can flourish academically and socially at Eastern. The campaign includes a variety of initiatives such as social gatherings, banners featuring individual students, videos, a website and special scholarships. 

EMU faculty, alumni visit Malaysia

In addition to the trip to China, Taiwan and South Korea, a group of Eastern Michigan University faculty and alumni held a series of events in Malaysia. One of the events was a panel discussion on global business best practices that took place in Kuala Lumpur. Among those involved were Professor of Management and International Business David Victor, Professor of Finance Mahmud Rahman, and alumni Dato Azlam Shah Alias, a member of the Board of Trustees at PPUMCares of University Malaya Medical Centre; and Omar Bin Khalid, CEO of Time Marine Services.

Professors Victor and Rahman, along with fellow EMU faculty members Al Diallo and Asrat Tessema (Finance), Matt Sauber (Marketing) and Kimberly Barker (Management). are in Malaysia to attend the annual Global Advances in Business Communication Conference, held this year in Johor. Victor serves as editor in chief of the Global Advances in Business Communication Journal, which is published at Eastern.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.