2019 China-Sino Joint Program Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the University of St. Francis (USF) and Sichuan University of Science and Engineering (SUSE) joint program was held at SUSE in Zigong, China on Oct 9, 2019. USF President Avid Johnson traveled thousands of miles to meet the partner and the first cohort of students.

The joint program received the Ministry of Education of China’s approval in May 2019; over 100 students enrolled in the program at SUSE by August, and the first cohort was launched successfully in September.

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Presidents USF-SUSE

Salt Museum

Presidents Tuo and Johnson congratulated the newly enrolled students and wished them a successful learning experience at SUSE in China and USF in the U.S. President Johnson warmly welcomed the students to the USF and SUSE family and said “At USF, our mission is to prepare our students to contribute to the world through service and leadership. We do that through challenging academic programs, which provide you with the depth and breadth of knowledge that you’ll need to be ready to make an impact in the workplace both today and in the future.” He encouraged students to visit USF in Chicago and to experience America.

President Johnson extended an invitation to President Xianguo Tuo and SUSE leaders to visit USF for its 100-year celebration in 2020. President Tuo said to the new students that he would visit USF and even invite the students to go with him.

The opening ceremony ended with fun interaction between President Johnson and the students. Students asked questions on how to transfer to USF; the meaning behind USF slogan, “Big Ideas and Brighter Future;” whether USF serves Chinese food; and the English requirement, etc.

Elsie Yuan, Vice President of Hunter Global Education (Hunter) accompanied Dr. Johnson to SUSE for the opening ceremony. Hunter is proud to have brought the partnerships together and will work with USF to grow the USF-SUSE joint program.