A delegation from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), led by Professor John Binkley, Vice Provost and Dean of the School of Extended and Global Education, visited Taizhou University on October 24. Vice President and Party Committee Member Li Jianjun attended the meeting and delivered a welcome address. Participants included Xu Yuanhong, Party Secretary of the School of Medical and Chemical Engineering; Zeng Wei, Head of the Agricultural Master’s Degree Program; and other relevant leaders. Wang Aiqin, Deputy Director (presiding) of International Exchange and Cooperation Department, hosted the meeting.
Meeting in Progress
Li Jianjun extended a warm welcome to Professor Binkley and his delegation. He emphasized that the collaborative establishment of the “Taizhou University San Bernardino School of Engineering” is a significant step towards deepening cooperation and achieving mutual benefit for both institutions. Li reiterated TU’s strong commitment to the partnership and its full support for the new school’s preparation and development, expressing anticipation for fruitful outcomes in talent cultivation, scientific research collaboration, and faculty/student exchanges. He expressed hope that the School of Engineering would serve as a platform to continuously expand collaboration, solidify its foundation, inject new momentum into both universities’ high-quality development, and pave the way for deeper cooperation.
Professor John Binkley spoke highly of TU’s educational strength and forward-looking vision. He stated that the partnership is built on mutual respect, shared academic goals, and a common vision. He described the collaboration as a symbol of both institutions’ joint pursuit of excellence, promotion of international cooperation, and commitment to student-centered innovation in higher education. He looked forward to the continued joint efforts of both universities to ensure the future success of the School of Engineering.
Group Photo of Representatives
During the meeting, Wang Aiqin detailed Taizhou’s three key identities – “City of Mountains, Seas, and Water; Sacred Land of Harmony; Capital of Manufacturing” – and outlined the university’s structure, student and faculty numbers, academic programs, and international exchange achievements. She highlighted the university’s distinct characteristics: close ties with local industries, deep integration of industry and education, service to regional development, and a commitment to internationalization. Xu Yuanhong described the visit as a major milestone in the partnership, stating that future efforts would focus on enhancing student capabilities, fostering collaborative research innovation, and building mutually beneficial mechanisms to open a new chapter in cooperation. Zeng Wei presented the School of Life Sciences’ comprehensive achievements in teaching, research, and international cooperation. Zhang Jie, Head of the Applied Chemistry Department, detailed the School of Medical and Chemical Engineering’s disciplinary strengths, research progress, and external exchange results.
Both sides held in-depth discussions on teaching and research collaboration, long-term and short-term student exchanges, and other areas, reaching multiple points of consensus.
During their visit, the delegation toured the Comprehensive Science and Technology Building, the Smart Greenhouse, and a student cafeteria. They visited the School of Medical and Chemical Engineering, including the Taizhou Biomedical and Chemical Industry Research Institute and chemistry laboratories. At the School of Life Sciences, they toured the Public Analysis Platform and biology and environmental science laboratories. A symposium involving the two schools and three potential collaborative majors was held in the School of Life Sciences conference room, featuring lively discussions on topics such as future student recruitment, curriculum planning in the U.S., student internships and thesis supervision, and summer school exchanges for CSUSB faculty and students to China.
Touring the Comprehensive Science and Technology Building
Visiting the Smart Greenhouse
Touring the School of Medical and Chemical Engineering
Touring the School of Life Sciences
Symposium in the School of Life Sciences
This visit marks the transition of the partnership into a substantive implementation phase, laying a solid foundation for future in-depth collaboration. The co-establishment of the “Taizhou University San Bernardino School of Engineering” will enable the sharing and complementarity of high-quality educational resources, creating a new platform for cultivating high-caliber talent with international perspectives. Furthermore, this exchange strengthened understanding and mutual trust between the Chinese and American institutions, creating favorable conditions for exploring broader collaborative opportunities in the future.
Visiting a Student Cafeteria
California State University, San Bernardino, founded in 1965, is a key campus within the California State University system. It comprises five schools offering over 70 undergraduate and graduate programs to approximately 18,500 students. The university employs 1,777 faculty members, 76% of whom hold doctorate degrees. CSUSB has been named a “Best University in the West” by The Princeton Review for eleven consecutive years, placing it steadily in the top 25% of national universities. Only seven of the 23 CSU campuses have received this distinction. In 2015, Forbes included CSUSB for the sixth time in its “America’s Best Colleges” list, and its undergraduate program has been consistently ranked among the top 20% for premier undergraduate education nationally. Accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, CSUSB ranks second in safety among California’s public universities. In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings, it stands at 171st nationally, 92nd among public universities, 48th for “Best Value,” and an impressive 3rd nationally for “Top Performers on Social Mobility.” The university maintains friendly exchange relations with over 270 institutions in 46 countries and hosts more than 900 international students from over 50 countries in its 75+ degree programs. Since 2014, CSUSB has successfully run a joint undergraduate program in Internet of Things Engineering with the Applied Technology College of Soochow University. Its College of Natural Sciences is a significant unit, housing nine departments (including Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Health Science and Human Ecology, Computer Science and Engineering) and managing over $120 million in research funding. CSUSB has produced numerous distinguished alumni in fields like chemistry, biology, and environmental health science.
