Newly Established U.S.-China Center Advisory Board to Host First Meeting

On Friday, March 14, the U.S.-China Center at the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) will host the first meeting of its newly established U.S.-China Center Advisory Board from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BOR system office at 61 Woodland St.
in Hartford.

The new advisory board will bring people from the state’s academic institutions together with representatives from organizations throughout Connecticut that promote innovation and economic development. The purpose of this collaboration is to find new ways to use academic expertise to support Connecticut's economic, cultural and academic exchange with China.

“This new U.S.-China Center Advisory Board will work to build the bridge of understanding, exchange, and cooperation between the United States and China,” said Board of Regents President Gregory Gray. “It will draw on the strengths of the Connecticut State College & Universities through educational exchange and the promotion of economic, governmental, and civic pursuits.”

The advisory board will serve as a platform to improve communication, identify new opportunities, expand outreach in China, and help plan activities for visiting and outgoing Connecticut delegations. It will also be instrumental in efforts to establish a “concierge service” initiative that will provide easier access to information for Chinese companies searching for business opportunities in Connecticut.

Members of the U.S.-China Center Advisory Board include: Aaron Frankel, office of Governor Malloy; Stephen Angle, Director of the Center for East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University; Hu Jin, Vice President, Chinese Association for Science and Technology, (CAST-CT ; Paul B. Edelberg, Chairman, Connecticut China Council; John Schuyler, Chairman, Connecticut District Export Council; Joel Rinebold, Director of Energy Initiative, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT); and Charles Mason, CEO, Mason, Inc.

Established in 2003, the U.S.-China Center has strengthened and expanded Connecticut’s economic, cultural, and trade relationships with our Chinese sister-state, Shandong Province.

The U.S.-China Center, now located at the BOR in Hartford, has entered into an agreement with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to unite the resources of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (ConnSCU) system behind further economic, academic, and cultural partnerships with China. Governed by the BOR, the 17 ConnSCU institutions are uniquely positioned to support workforce and economic development efforts across the state. With the support from DECD, the Center will also be coordinating preparations for visiting and outgoing delegations between Connecticut and China.

For more information, please contact U.S.-China Center director, Erik Cronqvist at cronqviste@ct.edu or 860.538.6692.