New agreement strengthens U of S-Chinese research ties

U of S Interim President Gordon Barnhart and BIT President Hu Haiyan signed the agreement in Beijing, formalizing the creation of the new International Flagship Partnership Research Grant program with $50,000 from each institution.

The funds will support workshops, partnership-building activities, grant preparation, and associated travel aimed at enhancing research collaboration between the two institutions.

"This exciting partnership will ultimately enhance the research capacity and student learning opportunities at both institutions," said Diane Martz, U of S Director of International Research and Partnerships, who accompanied President Barnhart. "We anticipate that the program will enable researchers at BIT and U of S to jointly pursue and leverage other external research funding."

To be eligible for funding, projects must be co-led by both a U of S and a BIT faculty researcher. Selection will be made by a joint review committee, with preference given to projects that address BIT priority areas and U of S signature areas of research. Deadline for applications to the new fund is April 1, 2015. Faculty interested in applying should contact: internationaloffice@usask.ca

The U of S-BIT relationship began in 2005 and was solidified in 2012 as a flagship partnership. Since this time, faculty researchers from both institutions have engaged in collaborative work, including both research and artistic performance. The partners have exchanged graduate and undergraduate students and several BIT grads have joined the faculty at the U of S, while maintaining collaborative research ties in China.

The BIT is an open, international and research-oriented university with a focus on science and technology. Among the first Chinese universities to have a graduate school, BIT receives preferential support from the Chinese government and ranks among the first-class universities in that country for its high educational and research quality, strong faculty teams and academic programs.

In partnership with BIT, a Confucius Institute has been established at the U of S, offering language training and cultural outreach on campus and in Saskatoon.

The U of S has long-term partnerships in research, training and student exchange with numerous institutions across China.

(Note: the BIT announcement of this partnership is available on their website (Chinese)).

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For more information, contact:

International Research Specialist

U of S International Office

le.li@usask.ca