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An exhibit of Chinese and Chinese-influenced ceramics in the Mercedes Lipscomb Collection will be held at the Forsyth Center Galleries from Aug. 27 through Dec. 15. Complementing “London: Heart of Empire,” this exhibition showcases Chinese and Chinese-inspired ceramics. The English first went to China for the tea, but were fascinated by the hard, translucent porcelain they saw there, so much so that this porcelain became known in English as “china” and was a major trade item for the British East India Company (founded 1600). Completely unlike English and European stoneware and later “soft-paste” porcelain, the importing of china into Europe and England sparked a mania that lasted for centuries. China and India were two of England’s greatest trading partners, an empire that only officially came to an end with the transfer of Hong Kong in 1997.

On August 24, 2007, FIN celebrates India's 60th Independence Day in collaboration with India association

The Chief Guest and the Speaker for the event is Dr. Chandrika Rajagopal from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Suzanne Droleskey, the Executive Director of the ISS and the advisor of India Association will also attend the ceremony.

The program consists of a speech from Dr Chandrika, few words from the President of IA, Indian Flag Hoisting ceremony, 1-2 patriotic songs, and Indian National Anthem. Everybody will be served with Indian sweets and refreshments.

Dr. Richard Ewing, vice president for research at Texas A&M University, signed a Letter of Cooperation with PetroVietnam, a major oil company in Vietnam with revenue of US$10 billion, to encourage future collaborations in the areas of geosciences, petroleum engineering, and coastal engineering.

Nguyen Dang Lieu, vice president of PetroVietnam, led a delegation of 8 to visit Texas A&M University on August 13 and 14, 2007. The purpose of their visit was to view the advanced research facilities at Texas A&M, including the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, the Coastal Lab, and the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, and to explore the possibility of collaboration in educational outreach.

Dr. Randy Kluver, director of Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA), hosted a reception for former students in Manila, Philippines. Kluver gave an update about TAMU, and the Aggies enjoyed an evening of making new friendships and remembering their experiences at Texas A&M University. Plans for the future include a possible muster ceremony to be held in April 2008 at Corregidor. Former students in the Philippines who are interested in possibly forming a Philippines Aggie Club, or hearing of future events, should contact IPA for further information.

There are currently 9 Aggie Clubs in the Asian Pacific region, including 3 in China, 2 in Australia, 1 each in Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore.

Dr. Randy Kluver, director of the Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA), presented a paper entitled “Web campaigning in Asia: a comparative analysis,” at the Fifth International Convention for Asian Scholars (ICAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 4, 2007. Kluver’s paper was part of a series of papers on the ways in which the internet and other information technologies are transforming politics in Asia. Kluver’s paper was drawn from data as part of the International Internet and Elections project, which compared the deployment of the world wide web in election campaigns around the world.

ICAS was established in 1997 with a mission to develop transatlantic dialogue involving American and European Asian scholars. ICAS has since grown into the largest biennial Asia studies event outside the US covering all subjects within Asian studies. While at the conference, Dr. Kluver also explored the potential for collaborative research and study with a variety of Asian institutions.

On Tuesday, July 24, 2007, the Indonesian Consul General, the Honorable Kria Fahmi Pasaribu, and the Consul for Information and Cultural Affairs, Calderon Dalimunthe, paid a visit to Texas A&M University, which was hosted by the Institute for Pacific Asia. Interim President Eddie Davis and Interim Vice Provost Luis Cifuentes met with the delegation and discussed opportunities of future cultural and academic exchange between A&M and Indonesia.

While on campus, Consul General Pasaribu also met with the Director of Sponsored Student Programs, Mrs.Vi Cook, and the Assistant Director of International Student Services, Ms. Margit Garay, to learn more about Indonesian students on the A&M campus. Representatives from the Indonesian Student Association as well as students displaced by the tsunami had the opportunity to sit and speak with Consul General Pasaribu.

The visit was ended with a tour of the George Bush Presidential Library. Consul General Pasaribu said that upon his return to Houston, he had to tell all the interesting stories about the 12th Man, Reveille, and the Century Tree to his colleagues at the Consulate.

Consul General Pasaribu is new to the Houston Consulate as of March 2007, and this is his first visit to Texas A&M University.

On July 22, 2007, Dr. Elsa Murano, dean of the College of Agriculture at Texas A&M University (TAMU), met with Dr. Chen Zhangliang, president of the China Agricultural University (CAU), at the "21st century Sino-US Sustainable Development Conference".

The two parties came to an agreement to launch a "2 +2" joint degree program in 2008 in the areas of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Engineering, Biology, Genetics, Environmental Science, etc. for the students from CAU. A committee was designated to evaluate the first and second year curriculum in CAU and the third and forth year curriculum in TAMU, and other issues relating to this joint degree program. The two parties also reached a consensus on tuition and assistantship issues of the program. In addition, they agreed to strengthen relationship between the two universities through comprehensive research cooperation in the fields of the conservation tillage, beef cattle production, food security and detection, bio-energy and introduction of new varieties of American walnut, etc.

The Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA) hosted a delegation of presidents and senior administrators from more than 20 universities in China on March 28, 2007. This was part of a program organized by the Ministry of Education in China and Rice University for these leaders to learn about the workings of higher education in the U.S.

Executive Vice President and Provost David B. Prior provided the delegation with an overview of Texas A&M University and hosted a lunch at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. The delegation also met with deans, student representatives, and administrators for discussions about Texas A&M University.

After lunch, the delegation toured the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and visited the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), and Disaster City, a 52-acre training facility created and managed by the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEES). Finally, the delegation savored an authentic Texas barbeque at the Beef Center at the Animal Science Complex.

The delegation included representatives from Ministry of Education, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, Central Organization Committee, China Agricultural University, Dalian University of Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jilin University, Lanzhou University, Nanjing University, Nankai University, National Academy of Education Administration, Northeast Normal University, Shandong University, South China University of Technology, Tongji University, Tsinghua University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Wuhan University, Xiamen University, Xidian University and Zhejiang University.

The University Libraries Diversity Program invites you to a religion presentation on "Hinduism" by Dr. Richard Stadelman from the Department of Philosophy and Humanities Area of Religious Studies, which also includes a Q&A session.

When: Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Time: 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Where: Evans Library - Room 204E

Event is Free and Open to the Public

Summary by Dr. Stadelman: There is a large number of Hindu students at Texas A & M. For over twenty years I was the Adviser to the India Association and I also advised the Hindu Student group. One of the hardest things to convey is that Hinduism is not really one religion at all, but it is family of religions with many different divisions. In America, Hindus tend to unite in one group. That is not the case in Asia.

Hinduism: The many spiritual traditions of India arising over some 3000 years came to be known as Hinduism. Sacred scriptures include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. They describe the cycles of life and the meaning of existence. Numerous gods and goddesses express human dramas common to all. Hinduism claims to have many founders, teachers and prophets who claim first hand experience of God. Temples are places for prayers, offerings, singing and teaching. Families and individuals observe rituals and festivals at home as well. Calendar dates for sacred times are determined by both solar and lunar computations. Dates also vary by region and sub-group.

Click on link to read and print Dr. Stadelman's vitae: Dr. Stadelman's vitae

Click to read about Hinduism: Hinduism

The Freeman-Asia Award Program awards up to $7,000 to U.S./permanent resident undergraduate students to study abroad in East and Southeast Asia.

Students must demonstrate a financial need and study in one of the fifteen designated locations to be eligible.

For more information visit: The Freeman-Asia Award Program awards or contact Orie Varner, Freeman-Asia advisor, at ovarner@ipomail.tamu.edu. Application deadline: April 4 for students studying abroad Fall 2007/Academic Year 2007-2008 and October 17 for Spring 2008 studies.

College Station, Texas, February 23, 2007 – Over 1,200 people graced Sbisa Dining Hall on February 20, 2007 at the Chinese New Year Celebration co-organized by the Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA), Dining Services, and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), and sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank. Dr. Tito Guerrero, vice president and associate provost for diversity, Dr. Emily Y. Ashworth, associate vice president for international programs, and Dr. R. Douglas Slack, speaker of faculty senate, joined students, faculty, staff, and their families to share this special celebration.

The evening started with a lion and dragon dance performance that spanned all the way from outside the Academic Building to Sbisa. Accompanied with loud drums and gongs, four lions and a dragon from Lee’s Golden Dragon out of Houston danced and performed acrobatics. Chinese tradition holds that the dance was a ceremony to rid evil spirits and summon good luck and prosperity for the year to come.

The crowd then walked into the red and gold themed Sbisa Dining Hall to enjoy a wide selection of Chinese food and watched a Tibetan-style dance named “Kangding’s Love” performed by members of CSSA.

“What better way to engage students, faculty and other members of the university community in learning about other cultures than to bring them together for a festive occasion involving lots of food and fun,” said Dr. Guerrero. “This event helped to exemplify how a commitment to learning about the culture and the traditions of others can be entertaining as well.”

This was the first official event at Texas A&M University to celebrate the Chinese New Year, but plans were already underway for the next year as a result of the success of the event.

“We are planning to organize more cultural activities to raise international awareness on campus,” said Dr. Randy Kluver, director of the IPA. “The success of this event is a great encouragement for us.”

“Dining Services is very excited to see the overwhelming response from students, faculty and staff,” said Nadeem Siddiqui, executive director of Dining Services. “This is a beautiful beginning of a new tradition at A&M.”

We were a bit cautious when planning the menu for this event, and did prepare some American food,” said Gary Arthur, senior executive chef and director of operations of Dining Services. “But looking at the receptive response tonight, we’ll go ahead and plan for an all-Chinese menu for the Year of the Rat.”

“As an international student, I’m very encouraged to see the effort the university put to cultivate cultural diversity on campus,” said Yan Zhang, president of CSSA. “CSSA is proud to be a part of this driving force.”

This event is also featured in: The Eagle and The Battalion: Dancing in the new year, video 1, video 2 and video 3.

College Station, Texas, February 15, 2007 – The Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA), Dining Services, and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) are co-organizing the Chinese New Year Celebration, which will be held on February 20, 2007 (Tuesday) at 5 p.m. at Sbisa Dining Hall.

To kick off an evening of fabulous food and spectacular entertainment, a lion and dragon dance performance will commence at 5 p.m. at the Sul Ross statue and then march all the way to Sbisa Dining Hall.

But the fun does not stop here. There will be Kung Fu and dance performance right after the lion dance in the dining hall, where authentic festive food will be served buffet style. Chinese movies will be played in the Quiet Room adjacent to the dining hall, and two students will write names or greetings in Chinese calligraphy at your request.

“The Chinese New Year, or Chun Jie (Spring Festival), which starts on February 18 this year, is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Family and friends would visit each other’s homes and exchange gifts and ‘red envelopes’ symbolizing fortune,” said Randy Kluver, director of IPA. “IPA is delighted to introduce this significant piece of Chinese culture to our increasingly diverse campus and community.”

“Like a lot of festivities in other parts of the world, the Chinese New Year is all about food, fun, and family. It is our consistent goal at Dining Services that we do not only bring good food to students’ tables, but also an experience that they enjoy, an incident that will become a part of their Aggie legacy,” said Nadeem Siddiqui, executive director of Dining Services.

“We hope by presenting special New Year food and performances, we can give our students from China a reminder of home, and our US students a glimpse of the Chinese culture,” said Gary Arthur, senior executive chef and director of operations at Dining Services.

“In the past, most activities related to the Chinese New Year on campus are very exclusive. But this event is open to the public. We anticipate members of the university as well as the community will join us for this celebration. I’m very excited that CSSA is a central part of it,” said Yan Zhang, president of CSSA.

IPA Director Randy Kluver led a delegation to China from January 6 to 16, 2007 to visit potential partner institutes, including Tianjin University, Ocean University of China in Qingdao, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Peking University and the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) in Beijing.

The delegation had very productive meetings with various institutions, and are expecting to make much progress in our Study Abroad programs in China and other potential collaborative projects with these institutions.

Members of this delegation also included Suzanne Droleskey, executive director of International Programs for Students, Linda Skrla, associate dean of the College of Education and Human Development, and Ian Weber, assistant professor of the Department Communication.

Rodolfo M Nayga, Jr., professor of the department of agriculture economics at Texas A&M University, visited Taiwan and Thailand on December 15 – 20, 2006. During his 6-day trip, he gave 3 presentations on various topics ranging from marketing of health foods to the economics of safe foods.

The institutions he visited included the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, Taiwan Economics Association, and National Taiwan University in Taipei.

On Wednesday, December 13, 2006, IPA Director Randy Kluver attended a reception held by the Honorable Yoshihiko Kamo, Consul-General of Japan at Houston at his official residence to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan. The Consul-General welcomed more than 160 guests to the celebration, including such notables as US Congressman Al Greene, the Honorable Judge Robert Eckels, presiding officer of the Harris County Commissioners Court, and Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace.

The evening opened with the performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Kimigayo,” the national anthems of the United States and Japan, respectively. Ms. Sumiyo Ender graced those in attendance with her beautiful voice for both songs, and was accompanied on the piano by the talented Ms. Kana Mimaki. Following the singing of the anthems, Consul-General Kamo offered a few opening remarks in which he welcomed and thanked everybody for coming and introduced the distinguished speakers of the evening.

Following Consul-General Kamo’s remarks, the special guest of the evening, the Honorable Judge Eckels, gave a speech in which he talked about, among other things, the time he has spent in Japan, including a visit last year as part of the Texas delegation to the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture. Judge Eckels also emphasized the importance of the relationship between the United States and Japan, and the positive future he sees for both nations.

“Listening to the U.S. national anthem interpreted by a classical Japanese opera singer is a totally amazing experience. It showed how two different cultures can merge so beautifully,” said Kluver.

Dr. Kluver also took the opportunity to engage in productive discussions with the Consul General Kamo to explore collaboration prospects between Texas A&M University and Japanese institutions.

Consul General Kamo & Mrs. Kamo greet guests at the reception.

Sumiyo Ender sings national anthems of both the U.S. and Japan in traditional Japanese style.

Dexing Wu, president of the Ocean University of China, led a delegation of 8 to Texas A&M University on December 4 – 6, 2006. During their visit at A&M, the delegation engaged in deep conversations with the Office of Graduate Studies, College of Geosciences, Dwight Look College of Engineering, College of Architecture, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, as well as representatives from the Galveston campus. As a result of these meaningful discussions, a supplement to the existing Memorandum of Agreement was signed to encourage the exchange of faculty and students for joint teaching and research in the area of geosciences between the two universities.

December 01, 2006 –A delegation from Tianjin University headed by Prof. Ke Gong, President of Tianjin University, visited Texas A&M University on December 1, 2006. Dr. David.Prior, Executive Vice President and Provost, hosted a dinner for the delegation after a presentation by Dr. Richard Ewing, Vice President for Research, and Dr. John Niedzwecki, Executive Associate Dean, Dwight Look College of Engineering. It was a very productive exchange between the two universities and further collaborations between both parties were in the talks. The delegation also met with Tianjin University alumni currently studying at A&M. Delegation members include Prof. Ke Gong, President of Tianjin University, Prof. Jian Zeng, Dean of School of Architecture, Prof. Yingjin Yuan, Dean of School of Chemical Engineering, Prof. Fuling Yang, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Office and Ms. Yanping Xu, Project Executive of International Cooperation Office.

College Station, Texas, October 26, 2006 –Arvind Kejriwal, winner of 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for emerging leadership, emphasized the critical role of information in fighting corruption in developing countries, such as, India in his presentation to Texas A&M on October 24.

Under the Delhi Right to Information (RIT) Act of 2001, every citizen possesses the right to inspect government documents. Kejriwal founded the organization Parivartan to help the citizens of India understand these rights to overcome governmental bureaucracy, slowness, and arbitrary enforcement of citizen services.

“The only way to overcome corruption is for people to use their rights under the Right to Information Act,” said Kejriwal.

The talk was attended by students, faculty and staff members from Texas A&M University. Dr. Narasimha Reddy, Chairman of Friends of India Network (FIN) and a professor at Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, said there is a strong momentum among the students after the discussion they had with Mr. Kejriwal.

“They are very impressed with his devoted work and some of them already expressed interest to support his volunteer organization Parivartan,” Reddy said.

Dr. Randy Kluver, Director of Institute for Pacific Asia said he was honored to help sponsor a speaker of such caliber to present a side of Asia that they might otherwise not be aware of.

“We will continue to help engage our students as well as faculty in meaningful interaction with our counterparts in the Asian Pacific region,” Kluver said.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, often referred to as the “Asian Nobel,” was established in 1957 to commemorate late president of the Philippines and to perpetuate his example.

The event was sponsored by the Association for India’s Development, the Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA) at Texas A&M University, and the India Association.

Zuosheng Yang, 2006 Lockheed Martin World Scholar-in-Residence, from China Ocean University in Qingdao, China visited Texas A&M University for a week from October 18 to 26, 2006. During his visit, he gave two lectures on “The Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the Coastal Zone of China: A Case Study of Yellow and Yangtze Rivers” and “Suspended Sediment Transportation in the East China Sea”. These lectures were co-sponsored by the College of Geosciences and the International Programs Office on Oct 19 and 24 respectively.

Yang is a Distinguished Professor and the Honor Director of the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies at the Ocean University of China (OUC), the premier ocean research institution in China. He has had 45 years of teaching and research experiences and is a well known expert in marine research in China. Yang has served as chairman of five China National Natural Science Foundation research programs and as chief Chinese scientist in a number of China-U.S., China-Japan, China-France collaborative projects. He also served on the academic boards of key Chinese national laboratories including the laboratories of estuarine and coastal studies, coastal and island studies, and the marine deposit and geo-environment. Yang’s research include areas such as marine geology and sedimentology, geochemistry, estuarine and coastal dynamic deposit, and subqueaous geohazards, and others.

IPA Director Randy Kluver had the opportunity to meet with a group of Texas A&M University students who are currently studying in Singapore. This group, led by Texas A&M professor Wayne Hung, are attending two summer courses with local students at the National University of Singapore: Fundamentals of Micro/nano Manufacturing and Nations & Nationalisms in South Asia. The students have also had the opportunity to take field trips to high-tech international companies to see technology in action as well as cultural trips to learn more about Singapore and South Asia’s rich cultural heritage. Dr. Kluver was able to have dinner with these students, along with the President of the Singapore Aggie Club, Peter Seow.

July, 2006: Texas A&M Study Abroad students in Singapore volunteered at the American Association of Singapore 4th of July party, where they organized games for the kids, ate American food, and saw a fantastic fireworks display. The students have also visited Malaysia, and some are even thinking of moving to Singapore after graduation. The students certify that they are all "chopstick qualified" now!

IPA hosted a farewell luncheon for Peiming Lu, Consul for Education at the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston, on Friday, June 23. Mr. Lu has been the contact person for the International Programs Office at the Houston Consulate for two years and will be returning to China in July. Dr. Emily Ashworth presented Mr. Lu with a plaque to thank him for his work to foster educational exchanges between China and Texas A&M University. Mr. Lu brought his successor, Mr. Wei Liqing, with him to the luncheon to meet Texas A&M faculty and staff members. The staff of the Institute for Pacific Asia are grateful for Mr. Lu's service, and wish him well as he returns to his own university in China.

Four graduate students from Thailand are studying at Dr. Jim Olson's lab at Texas A&M University. Olson is a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station entomologist.

Patchanee Siratanon and Thirachit Saenphon enjoy a free concert as part of the Starlight Music Series. The two are at TAMU to audit courses during the summer, Patchanee in the Department of Statistics, and Thirachit in the Department of Computer Science.

IPA Director Randy Kluver poses with Deng Nan, Vice Chairman and First Secretary, China Association for Science and Technology.