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DSU's Chinese Delegation Surpasses Expectations

Madison – In late October, a group of Dakota State University and South Dakota Board of Regents representatives traveled across the world to discuss a multi-phased educational and commercial partnership with Xi'An Jiaotong University of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province in the People's Republic of China. The leaders of the delegation were Dr. Tad Perry, Executive Director of the Board of Regents and Dr. Jerald Tunheim, President of Dakota State University.

Xi'an Jiaotong University is a national university, a level not found in the United States. It is considered as one of the five most prestigious technical institutions in China. The faculty of the university is nearly 2,400, with approximately 25,000 students within its well represented undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs.

“The trip to China has proved to be quite fruitful for Dakota State University. I can see many future projects evolving from our initial partnerships with Xi'an University,” said Dr. Tunheim. In fact, benefits can eventually involve all five other institutions of higher education within the regental system of South Dakota and can well involve agricultural and commercial programs representing all sectors of the South Dakota economy.

The delegation mainly focused on the completion of negotiations for the Library Automation Project. The project will enable the staff of DSU's Karl Mundt Library to teach Chinese representatives about library automation, including areas such as full text-based retrieving, cataloging, circulation, acquisition, accounting, serial control, inter-library loans and document delivery systems, and inventory and authorization records and practices. Two Chinese representatives will visit Dakota State University in February of 1997. They will be trained by the staff of the Mundt Library and will also work with the South Dakota Library Network.

“Dakota State is excited to move ahead with the Library Automation Project and looks forward to working with the Chinese professors in the coming year,” said Ethelle Bean, Director of the Karl Mundt Library, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Dakota State University and the higher education system of our state.”

Other possible agreements that were discussed during the trip to China were the faculty exchange program, distance education/internet courses, and the language conversion project.

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