Last Thursday, I attended a lovely dinner at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. The evening began with a tour of the embassy and its exquisite collection of paintings and sculptures. We then proceeded to sit down to a fabulous eight-course dinner!

The Minister LIU Guangyuan and Minister Counselor YOU Shaozhong hosted the dinner in appreciation of our efforts to advance learning through international partnerships and programs.  Donna Scarboro, Associate Vice President for International Programs, and her husband were also in attendance.  We talked about many emerging issues in higher education.  Among the topics of discussion was the continuation of the Professional Statistics Development Program.

This is the second year Columbian College has offered this innovative program to members of the Statistical Education Center of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC). NBSC selects up to 30 participants based on experience, merit, and English proficiency to attend a 10-week professional development program taught by our Statistics Department faculty. Since their arrival on our campus in June, the NBSC participants have been attending seminars and discussions that focus on enhancing statistical knowledge and providing communications and leadership training.

Many thanks to our gracious hosts at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with your country!