UMD: A Globally Connected University

Program Areas & Expertise

Program Areas & Expertise

 

Formerly known as the Institute of Global Chinese Affairs and the Maryland China Initiative, UMD’s Office of China Affairs (OCA) runs one of  the oldest overseas training centers in partnership with China State Administration of Foreign Affairs (SAFEA), and is recognized as a distinguished overseas training center by Chinese government officials and administrators.

Through participation in OCA’s training programs, Chinese leaders study ways in which governments, universities, corporations, educators, nonprofits, and professional associations interact in the areas of policy formulation, implementation, analysis, research, information services, and regulation. OCA programs are composed of lectures, case studies, discussions, and visits to national, state, and local government agencies and private organizations in the Washington, D.C. area and the northeastern United States.

Program Areas

Our courses focus on issues of public welfare that result from economic growth, rapid urbanization, growing energy demands, technological advances, and globalization of markets. 

  • Environmental Protection and Natural Resources
    Environmental protection (policies, technologies, and laws), pollution remediation, energy efficiency, low carbon strategies, sustainable development, circular economy, and natural resource management (including bays and wetlands)
  • Public Administration
    Policy implementation and performance management, regional and national governance, government procurement, community planning, social insurance and social services, risk and emergency management, human capital management, rule of law, conduct of international exchanges and cultural programming
  • Higher Education 
    Managing international universities, general education, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, student services, university finance, attracting and retaining faculty, community services, physical education and sports, higher education as an economic driver, and pedagogy for Chinese faculty teaching English-language courses
  • Special Programs
    OCA works with U.S. academics and professionals to design tailored programs for a variety of Chinese partner organizations.  Recent program topics have included Charity and Philanthropy Development, Urban Development, Low-Income Housing, Science Park Management, Prosecutors and Judges in the American Legal System, E-Governance, and Soft Power Diplomacy 
  • Cultural Activities
  • Our programs enables trainees to experience American history and culture through cultural visits to other universities in the Washington DC area and other well-known historic sites. Programs will be tailored to include visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Statue of Liberty (tickets provided by UMD), Time Square, Wall Street, Empire State Building, Observation Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, Spy Museum, Holocaust Museum, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Washington Monument, Smithsonian Museums, Arlington Cemetery, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Philadelphia – Liberty Hall, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Air Space Museum in Chantilly, VA, local farms to pick fruits, Annapolis Walking Tour by Watermark, Maryland State House tour and the Maryland General Assembly meeting.

The University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, the only comprehensive public research university near Washington, DC, is uniquely positioned to promote U.S.-China collaboration. With a 1,200-acre campus, 37,000 students, over 200 graduate and undergraduate programs, and a faculty that includes three Nobel laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners, forty-nine members of national academies, UMD offers an ideal environment for long-term professional training. 

UMD’s advantages include the fact that we are a comprehensive public research university with expertise and facilities covering virtually all specializations. Our close proximity to Washington D.C. and the Maryland capital of Annapolis, as well as numerous federal and state research institutions, provide us with an incomparable geographic advantage. Our trainees’ ability to meet with representatives of federal, state, municipal, and county governments, all in the same day, and our ready access to world’s highest concentration of multinational organizations, nonprofits, and professional associations are unmatched by any other American training center.  

Expertise and Regional Resources

Our personnel have experience in government, diplomacy, law, education, media, and U.S.-China relations.  Our bilingual staff’s understanding of Chinese institutions and development goals enables them to work with partners throughout China to create training programs that adapt American best practices to meet China’s needs. 

UMD colleges, schools, and institutes lead in the planning and delivery of most courses. Other U.S. agencies that contribute frequently to our programs include:

  • U.S. Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, and State
  • Maryland state, county, and municipal government departments
  • U.S. Supreme Court, federal, state, and local courts
  • The Library of Congress
  • Washington, D.C. and Baltimore city governments
  • The American Council on Education
  • The Consumer Products Safety Commission
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • The Maryland Higher Education Commission
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
  • The World Bank
  • The World Resources Institute

Participating Chinese Organizations

Since our founding in 1996, we have trained over 10,000 mid- and upper-level executives from Greater China. Our Chinese partner organizations include:

National Government Agencies

  • Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation
  • State Administration of Taxation
  • China Council for the Promotion of International Trade
  • China Meteorological Administration
  • General Administration of Sport
  • Ministry of Urban Planning and Rural Development
  • China Charity Information Center

Provincial Governments

  • Anhui Province
  • Beijing
  • Guangdong Province
  • Henan Province
  • Jiangsu Province
  • Liaoning Province
  • Shandong Province
  • Shanghai

Municipal Governments

  • Jinan
  • Nanjing
  • Qingdao
  • Taizhou
  • Wuxi

Universities

  • Beijing Normal University
  • China University of Communication
  • Beijing University of Technology
  • Anhui University
  • Sichuan University
  • Jiangsu University
  • Jiangnan University
  • Northwest University of Agriculture and Forestry
  • Huazhong Agricultural University
  • Huazhong University of Science and Technology
  • Southeastern University
  • Xiamen University
  • Chongqing University
  • Guangzhou University
  • Guangzhou Sports University
  • Guangzhou Medical University
  • Guangdong University of Finance

If you are interested in training programs, please contact us at:

Office of China Affairs, University of Maryland
0124 Taliaferro Hall
College Park, Maryland 20742
Phone: 301-405-0208      Fax: 301-405-0219     Email: jdwang@umd.edu (link sends e-mail)