From August 18 to 22, Liu Xiangbing, Secretary of the Party Committee of China University of Labor Relations (CULR), led a delegation to the United States for international cooperation and exchange, visiting State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY-Binghamton), and Columbia University. The delegation also included faculty members and leaders from the School of Safety Engineering, the School of Social Work, and the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation.
On the afternoon of August 19, the delegation visited SUNY-Binghamton, where they attended a signing ceremony for the "3.5 + 1.5 Joint Bachelor's and Master's Program" and a framework agreement on cooperation, followed by discussions on further exchange and collaboration. Attending the ceremony were SUNY-Binghamton President Harvey Stenger, Executive Vice President and Provost Donald Hall, Vice Provost Madhusudhan Govindaraju, and Professor Mohammad Khasawneh, Dean of the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering.
After the signing ceremony, Liu Xiangbing, in his speech, reviewed the history and achievements of friendly exchanges between the two universities, introduced recent developments at CULR and its future vision, and expressed the hope to further strengthen cooperation in three areas. First, deepen collaboration in talent cultivation by renewing the "3.5+1.5" program agreement and exploring new joint training models for bachelor's-master's and master's-doctoral degrees, thereby creating opportunities for more students from the School of Safety Engineering and the School of Computer Science to pursue studies in the United States. Second, build on SUNY-Binghamton's leading strengths in industrial engineering and systems science to explore possibilities for joint academic and research cooperation. Third, establish a long-term exchange mechanism to promote mutual visits between faculty and students of the two universities. He also extended a warm invitation for SUNY-Binghamton students to visit CULR for exchanges.
On the afternoon of August 19 and the morning of August 20, the delegation visited the teaching and research laboratories of the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering at SUNY-Binghamton, as well as the university's infrastructure. The teaching laboratories integrate advanced concepts of Industry 5.0, making full use of 3D printing technology to quickly transform students' industrial design concepts into products, thereby providing comprehensive training in industrial manufacturing skills and enhancing students' overall capabilities. The research laboratories include a Nobel Prize winner's new energy laboratory, an advanced manufacturing laboratory, a microelectronics core laboratory, an intelligent electronics manufacturing laboratory, a biology laboratory, a medical and health laboratory, and a center for excellence in talent research. These facilities enable in-depth research and industrial applications in human-computer interaction system science, including bio-simulation and artificial intelligence. At the same time, it has also provided a solid foundation for research on safety and health issues in the era of Industry 5.0.
On the afternoon of August 20, the delegation visited Columbia University for a friendly exchange. Dean Melissa D. Begg of the School of Social Work, Vice Dean Ana Abraído-Lanza, Vice Dean Qin Gao, and other university leaders attended the meeting. In his speech, Liu Xiangbing introduced the recent developments at CULR and outlined three major visions for cooperation with Columbia University's School of Social Work: establishing a faculty and student exchange mechanism, conducting joint academic and research collaboration, and strengthening the mutual visits and exchanges between faculty members. Leaders of CULR's School of Social Work provided a comprehensive overview of the school's development and achievements, while the head of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation put forward detailed proposals for collaboration. Leaders of Columbia University's School of Social Work warmly welcomed the delegation and spoke highly of the achievements of CULR's School of Social Work. The two parties conducted in-depth discussions on cooperation and exchanges, and reached a preliminary cooperation intention. Moving forward, the two sides will deepen cooperation in multiple areas, including establishing a two-way faculty and student exchange mechanism, jointly conducting academic research and scientific projects, enhancing faculty exchanges, and supporting CULR's application for a doctoral program in social work.
At the invitation of the leadership of Columbia University's School of Social Work, Liu Xiangbing and the delegation also conducted in-depth visits to the school's library and Columbia University's Butler Library.
This visit strengthened CULR's collaborative innovation with American universities in scientific research, talent cultivation, and discipline development. The two sides reached multiple consensuses on expanding exchange programs and cooperation opportunities, laying a solid foundation for further enhancing CULR's internationalization and global influence, and providing a practical model for promoting mutual learning and exchanges in higher education between China and the United States.
State University of New York at Binghamton
State University of New York at Binghamton, commonly known as Binghamton University or SUNY-Binghamton, is a public research university and a top-tier national university in the United States, honored as a "Public Ivy". Founded in 1946, it is located in Binghamton, New York, the United States. The university comprises seven schools: the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Management, the Graduate School of Education, the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the College of Community and Public Affairs, and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science has maintained close ties with CULR's School of Safety Engineering. Since the signing of the "3.5+1.5" Joint Bachelor-Master Program agreement in 2018, a number of students from CULR's School of Safety Engineering have been enrolled in the program and have successfully completed their studies.
Columbia University in the City of New York
Columbia University in the City of New York, founded in 1754 and located in Upper Manhattan, New York City, is a world-renowned private research university. It is a member of the Ivy League and a founding member of the Association of American Universities. Columbia University comprises 21 schools, including four undergraduate colleges and 17 graduate schools. In recent years, two faculty members from CULR have visited Columbia University through the China Scholarship Council program, and the two institutions have maintained close academic exchanges in the field of social work.
(Office of International Exchange and Cooperation,
School of Safety Engineering, School of Social Work)