UNC Charlotte Confucius Institute

in collaboration with Shanxi University, People’s Republic of China

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TableofContents

1. Introduction.....................................................................................................1

2. Charlotte:ABriefOverview..............................................................................2History....................................................................................................................2Geography..............................................................................................................3Demographics........................................................................................................4Economy.................................................................................................................4LifeinCharlotte......................................................................................................6Internationalization................................................................................................8

3. Charlotte’sChineseTies....................................................................................9ChineseDemographics...........................................................................................9ChineseSchoolsandEducationPrograms……………………………………………………………9ChineseAssociationsandCommunityActivity.....................................................10ChineseBusinessandAssociations……………………………………………………………………12SisterCityBaoding................................................................................................15

4. UNCCharlotte:ABriefOverview....................................................................16History.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16Academics…………………………………………………………………………………………………………18Interationalization................................................................................................19CollegeofLiberalArts&Sciences........................................................................23DepartmentofLanguagesandCultureStudies....................................................24

5. UNCCharlotte’sChineseTies..........................................................................26MinorinChinese………………………………………………………………………………………………26ChineseStudentandScholarExchange...............................................................27China-FocusedFacultyandResearch...................................................................28China-relatedCampusActivity.............................................................................29

6. UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstitutePlan...........................................................31MissionandGoals................................................................................................31ManagementStructure........................................................................................32FinancialResourcesandManagementofFunding...............................................34Staffing,Space,Facilities&Equipment................................................................35

7. Summary........................................................................................................36

8. Appendices.....................................................................................................37Appendix1.ChineseBusinessintheCharlotteArea...........................................37Appendix2.ConfuciusInstituteFacultyAdvisoryBoardFacultyBios..................38

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ListofTables

Table1.CharlotteAreaHeadquarteredFortune1000Companies………………………………….......5Table2.Charlotte’sTop10Employers……………………………………………………………………..............5Table3.TopCountriesofOriginforForeignFirmsintheCharlotteRegion………………………….8Table4.ChineseExchangeStudents&VisitingScholars(2011-2016)....................................27Table5.UNCCharlotteChina-focusedFacultyandResearch.................................................28Table6.UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstituteFacultyAdvisoryBoard.......................................33ListofFigures

Figure1.CharlotteUptownSkyline……………………………………………………………………………………...1Figure2.StatuesontheFourCornersofTradeandTryoninUptownCharlotte…………………..2Figure3.MapofSelectCharlotte/MecklenburgCountyNeighorhoods………………………………..3Figure4.CharlottevsKnoxvillePopulationGrowth(1900-2013)………………………………………….4Figure5.NASCARRacing………………………………………………………………………………………………………6Figure6.CarolinePanthers………………………………………………………………………………………………….6Figure7.BechtlerMuseumofModernArtinUptownCharlotte.…………………………………………7Figure8.ProminentCharlotteOrganizationsofInternationalAffairs…………………………………..8Figure9.ChineseCulturalActivityinLocalPublicSchools……………………………………………………9Figure10.ChineseCulturalActivityinCommunityChineseSchools……………………………………10Figure11.ChineseNewYearCelebrationinCharlotte...........................................................11Figure12.CharlotteDragonBoatFestival..............................................................................11Figure13.ChineseDirectInvestmentintheU.S.(2000-2016)...............................................12Figure14.MajorChineseChambersofCommerceinCharlotte…………………………………………13Figure15.CharlotteLightRail…………………………………………………………………………………………….14Figure16.BaodingDelegatesVisitinCharlottein2011………………………………………………….....15Figure17.BaodingDelegatesVisitPackardPlacein2013………………………………………………….15Figure18.UNCCharlotteEntrance..……………………………………………………………………………………16Figure19.FirstClassofGraduates……………………………………………………………………………………..16Figure20.UNCCharlotteMainCampusAerialView…………………………………………………………..17Figure21.UNCCharlotteFaculty&StudentsStudyAbroad………………………………………………19Figure22.UNCCharlotteStudentsattheEnglishTrainingInstitute…………………………………..20Figure23.UNCCharlotteMainCampusinSpring………………………………………………………………21Figure24.UNCCharlotteInternationalFestival………………………………………………………………...22Figure25.UNCCharlotteMainCampus……………………………………………………………………………..23Figure26.UNCCharlotteDepartmentofLanguages&CulturalStudiesFaculty…………………24Figure27.UNCCharlotteInternationalFilmFestival………………………………………………………….25Figure28.UNCCharlotteStudents…………………………………………………………………………………....26Figure29.UNCCharlotteMainCampus……………………………………………………………………………..27Figure30.XiamenStudentsVisitCharlotte;UNCCharlotteinBeijing…………………………………29Figure31.DeanGutierrezVisitsChina;ChinaLawSchoolDelegationVisitUNCCharlotte…30Figure32.UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstituteManagementStructure………………………………..32Figure33.UNCCharlotteCenterCityCampus……………………………………………………………………36

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1. Introduction This application is submitted to the Confucius Institute Headquarter in Beijing by theUniversityofNorthCarolinaatCharlotte(UNCCharlotte),askingforitssupporttocreateaConfuciusInstituteonUNCCharlotte’scampuslocatedinCharlotte,NorthCarolina,USA.UNCCharlotte isNorthCarolina'surban researchuniversity. Located in the state's largestmetropolitan area, UNC Charlotte is the fastest growing universities in the 17-campusUniversityofNorthCarolinaSystem.It isalsothe largest institutionofhighereducationinthe Charlotte region. Established in 1946, UNC Charlotte now enrolls more than 28,700students on its 1,000-acre main campus in University City, in addition to its Center CitycampuslocatedinuptownCharlotteandtheCharlotteResearchInstituteCampusnorthofthemaincampus.LeveragingourgrowingacademicandindustrialtieswithChina,weproposetocollaboratewith our partner Shanxi University located in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province to expand ourChineseconnectionstoawiderrangeofteaching,research,andcommunityactivitiesbothon campus and in the larger Charlottemetropolitan area. Such activitieswould focus onlanguage teaching and cultural exchange. In addition, the Confucius Institute, as a jointventurebetweenUNCCharlotteandShanxiUniversity,wouldalsosupporttheexchangeofideas, the promotion of scholarship, and cooperation in research between the twoinstitutions.

Figure1.CharlotteUptownSkylineWe takegreatpride in theculturaldiversityandeconomicvitalityof thecityofCharlotteand also believe our students, faculty and community could be better served by thiscollaboration between the two institutions via Chinese language teaching, cross-culturallearningandotheracademicexchanges.Throughconsultationwithkeypartners,ithasbeenshownthatthereisapressingdemandandoverwhelmingsupportfortheUNCCharlotteConfuciusInstitute.ThelinkbetweenUNCCharlotte and Shanxi University can be developed and further strengthened through aConfucius Institute based in Charlotte that could produce larger benefits for bothuniversitiesandtheirsurroundingregions.

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2. Charlotte: A Brief Overview HistoryCharlotte has a rich history steeped in the discovery of gold and the pride of Scots-Irishsettlers.TheQueenCitywasfoundedin1768andnamedforQueenCharlotte,wifeofKingGeorge III of England. Now the nation’s second leading financial center, Charlotte wasoriginallybuiltatthecrossroadsoftwoNative-Americantradingpaths.Theintersectionofthesetwopaths,nowmajorstreets, isknownastheheartofCharlotte–“Trade&Tryon”(seeFigure1).

Figure2.StatuesontheFourCornersofTradeandTryoninUptownCharlotte

Thediscoveryofa17-poundgoldnuggetin1799inCharlottedrewmanyimmigrantstothearea inwhatbecamethenation’sfirstgoldrush.However,theboomwasshort-lived.Themany Charlotte opportunistsmoved on to California in 1848. Agriculture,mainly tobaccoandcotton,wasthemajorrevenueproviderfortheregionintheyearsbeforetheCivilWar.Afterthewar,textileindustriessprangtolifeasthecitybecameacottonprocessingcenterand a major railroad hub. As a result of the railroads’ success, Charlotte became theCarolinas’ largest city and a Southeastern textile and distribution hub. The city’sneighborhoodscontinuedtoexpandwiththeadditionofthestreetcarsystem,followedbybusinesses,skyscrapersandsuburbs. AsbusinessescontinuedtoflocktoCharlotte,thecity’sbankingindustrygainedmomentuminthe1970sand1980sundertheleadershipoffinancierHughMcColl.McColltransformedNorth Carolina National Bank into the present-day Bank of America. The combination ofBank of America and Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) made Charlotte the nation’s second-largestbankingcenter,behindNewYorkCity.

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Geography Witha totalareaofnearly300 squaremiles (or771.0km2),Charlotte constitutesmostofMecklenburgCountyintheCarolinaPiedmont.ItislocatedseveralmilessoutheastofLakeNorman, the largestman-made lake in North Carolina. Charlotte center city is known as“Uptown.” Its 199 neighborhoods radiate in all directions from Uptown (see Figure 2).CharlotteDouglas International Airport, situated in the city’swest and ranked as the 23rdbusiestairportintheworld,isroughly25minutesfromUNCCharlotte’sMainCampus.Twomainarteriesrunthroughthecity:InterstateHighwayI-85fromEasttoWestandI-77fromNorth to South. The I-485 Loopwas completed in 2015.UNCCharlotte’sMainCampus islocatedintheeasternpartofthecityanditsCenterCityCampusinUptown.TheLYNXBlueLineExtension(lightrail),tobecompletedin2017,willconnectthesetwocampuses.

Figure3.MapofSelectCharlotte/MecklenburgCountyNeighborhoods

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DemographicsCharlotteisthe2ndlargestcityinthesoutheasternUnitedStatesandthe16thlargestinthecountry. The 2014 U.S. Census shows over 800,000 residents live within Charlotte's citylimits and the larger Charlotte metropolitan area has a population of 2,538,000. AmongCharlotte’spopulation:

o 45%areCaucasiano 35%areAfricanAmericano 13%areHispanico 5%areAsiano 2%areofotherracesormixedraces

In the last fewdecades, Charlotte experienced rapid population (see Figure 4) and is thethirdfastestgrowingmajorcityintheUnitedStates.

Figure4.CharlottevsKnoxvillePopulationGrowth(1900-2013)

EconomyCharlotte enjoys a vibrant, balanced economy that encompasses many sectors andcompanies ranging in size from multinational to micro-business. In recent years, it wasrankedas theNo.1 largeU.S. city for growth inbusiness.As the country’s second largestbankingcenteraswellasa regionalenergy, transportation,medical, smartmanufacturinghub,Charlotteattractsalargevolumeofbusinessactivity:291Fortune500companieshaveapresenceinCharlotte. Charlotte is theworld headquarter of Bank of America, the nation’s second-largest bank.Charlottehas7Fortune500companiesand16Fortune1000companiesinitsmetropolitanarea(seeTable1).

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Rank Name Revenue($B)23 BankofAmerica 95.250 Lowe’s 56.2116 DukeEnergy 25.7139 Nucor 21.1315 SonicAutomotive 9.2366 SealedAir 7.8470 Domtar 5.6514 AmericanTireDistributors 5.0542 SPX 4.7596 ResoluteForestProduct 4.3610 Belk 4.1640 CommScope 3.8715 Carlisle 3.2772 Babcock&Wilcox 2.9834 Curtiss-Wright 2.6837 Albemarle 2.6

Table1.CharlotteAreaHeadquarteredFortune1000Companies(Fortune2015)

Thetop10employersinCharlotteare:Rank Employer #ofEmployees1 CarolinasHealthcareSystem 35,0002 WellsFargo 22,0003 CharlotteMecklenburgSchools 18,1434 Walmart 16,1005 BankofAmerica 15,0006 Lowe's 12,9607 NovantHealth 11,0008 AmericanAirlines 10,6009 HarrisTeeter 8,23910 DukeEnergy 7,800

Table2.Charlotte’sTop10Employers(2014)

The Charlotte Region is a major base of energy-oriented organizations and has becomeknownas"CharlotteUSA–TheNewEnergyCapital".Intheregion,therearemorethan240companiesdirectly tied toenergy sector collectivelyemployingmore than26,400people.Since2007,morethan4,000energysectorjobshavebeencreated.MajorenergyplayersinCharlotteincludeAREVA,Babcock&Wilcox,DukeEnergy,ElectricPowerResearchInstitute,Fluor, Metso Power, Piedmont Natural Gas, Siemens Energy, Shaw Group, Toshiba, URSCorp.,andWestinghouse.UNCCharlottehasareputationinenergyeducationandresearchand its Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) trains energy engineers andconductsresearch. Charlotte is also amajor center of U.S.motorsports industry, housingmultiple offices ofNASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.

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Approximately75%oftheNASCARindustry'sraceteams,employeesanddriversarebasednearby.

Figure5.NASCARRacing

LifeinCharlotteTheCharlotteareaconsistentlyranksinthetop10mostpopulardestinationstomovetointheU.S.Thearea’sclimateismoderate,pleasantandsunnywithdistinctfourseasons.Twohours east of the Appalachian Mountains and three hours west of the Atlantic Ocean,Charlotteoffersahighqualityoflife,world-classarts,majorleaguesports,andeducationalandadvancementopportunitiesthatattracttalentedindividualsfromaroundtheglobe. Charlotteishometotwomajorprofessionalsportsfranchises:theCarolinaPanthersoftheNational Football League (NFL) and the Charlotte Hornets of the National BasketballAssociation(NBA).CharlottealsohasicehockeyteamCharlotteCheckersandbaseballteamCharlotteKnights.

Figure6.CarolinaPanthersCharlotteisalsoamajordestinationforrecreationandtourism.TheCatawbaRiverishometotheU.S.NationalWhitewaterCenter,whichisanofficialU.S.OlympicTeamtrainingsite.Mecklenburg County has more than 210 parks with amenities including tennis courts,swimmingpools,golfcourses,communitycenters,bikingtrails,fishingandmuchmore.

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s cultural community is thriving. The greater Charlotte communityunderstandsthatdiverseculturalofferingsarekeytoprovidingastimulatingqualityoflife.The Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg (ASC) is committed to buildingappreciation,participationandsupportforartsandculture.Publicartplaysaroleinhelpingto personalize community history and identity, while enriching neighborhoods andcommunityexperiences.

Figure7.BechtlerMuseumofModernArtinUptownCharlotte

Charlotte’smajormuseumsinclude:BechtlerMuseumofModernArt,BillyGrahamLibrary,CarolinasAviationMuseum,DiscoveryPlace,HarveyB.GanttCenter forAfrican-AmericanArts + Culture, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Visual Art, MintMuseum, and NASCAR Hall of Fame. Major performing arts venues include BlumenthalPerforming Arts Center, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Ballet, Opera Carolina,Actor'sTheatreofCharlotte,ImaginOn,NCMusicFactory,andAmos'SouthendMusicHall.TheCharlotte cultural community generates $202.8million in total economic activity andsupports more than 6,240 jobs. Area cultural organizations offer volunteer and socialopportunitiesforpeopleofallages.

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InternationalizationCharlotte offers exceptional air service, foreign trade zones, transparent government andbusiness practices, and numerous nonprofit organizations that focus on internationalbusiness, foreignpolicyandglobalculture.Approximately14%ofCharlottearearesidentswere born outside of the U.S. Many resources are available for foreign companies andindividuals with diverse backgrounds. The city’s Office of International Relations and theMayor’s Charlotte International Cabinet work to foster international relationships. TheWorldAffairsCouncilofCharlotte(WACC),aregionalcenterforeducationanddiscussionofworldaffairs,provides leadership forglobal thinking,believing thatabroadperspective isnecessaryforeffectivecompetitionintheglobaleconomyandforresponsiblecitizenshipinanincreasinglyinterdependentworld.

Figure8.ProminentCharlotteOrganizationsofInternationalAffairs

TheInternationalHouse,formedin1981,promotesinternationalunderstandingandservesimmigrants in need. The nonprofit organization’s services include foreign languageconversationhours, culturalandeducationalprograms,an internationalbookclub, citizendiplomacy programs, an international women’s group, language classes, free citizenshipworkshopsandlegalassistanceforlow-incomeimmigrants.The Charlotte Chamber, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the economicdevelopmentofthecityofCharlotte,engages inthepromotionof internationaltradeandinvestment,bothinboundandoutbound.CharlottefirmssuccessfullyrecruittalentfromtheU.S.andaroundtheworld.Today,Charlotte ishometomorethan984foreignbusinessesoperateintheregion,representing46countriesandemployingmorethan69,000workers. Country Firms Revenue($B) EmployeesGermany 199 231 14,487UnitedKingdom 118 163 6,585Canada 99 116 4,316Japan 80 89 4,857Switzerland 57 71 3,067France 56 67 4,632Italy 50 51 2,237TheNetherlands 50 59 3,767Sweden 38 49 2,893China 38 41 1,599Ireland 21 28 3,657Australia 18 21 782India 16 16 153

Table3.TopCountriesofOriginforForeignFirmsintheCharlotteRegion(2015)

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3. Charlotte’s Chinese Ties ChineseDemographicsBetween2000and2014,Charlotte’sChinesepopulationgrewfrom2,435to6,547,a168%increase.ThishascontributedtoalargerinfluxofAsianimmigrantstoCharlottecomparedto other ethnic groups. International migration data shows between 2010 and 2014,MecklenburgCountyreceivesonaverageeachyear:

o 3,437peoplemovefromAsiao 1,551peoplemovefromLatinAmericaandCaribbeano 1,430peoplemovefromEuropeo 291peoplemovefromAfrica

ChineseSchoolsandEducationalPrograms

Such changing demographics, coupled with the increasing importance of China in worldtrade,economics,politics,andculturalaffairs,havegiven rise toa seriousdemand in theCharlotte community for Chinese language instruction and cultural activities in order tobetter understand China, improve bilateral relations and better prepare our students forfutureopportunitiesandchallenges.

Figure9.ChineseCulturalActivityinLocalPublicSchools

Local public, private and nonprofit community schools offer a wide range of Chineselanguage and cultural instructions to meet such demand and are in need of additionalassistance.Charlotte-MecklenburgSchools (CMS), for instance,offers language immersionin Chinese for grades K through 8.It currently has 13 Chinese teachers and plans to hiremoretomeetincreasingdemand. UnionCountyPublicSchools(UCPS)startedtoofferChineseinstructionin2007.IthastwoChinese Immersionprograms thatgoup to4thgrade (MarvinES)and3rd grade (KensingtonES).Inaddition,itoffersChineselanguageinstructionasaforeignlanguageatthreeoftheninemiddleschoolsandatthreeofthetwelvehighschools.Previously,thePfeiffer-basedConfuciusInstituteinCharlotteprovidedvariouskindsofinstructionalsupportandculturalactivities:ConfuciusClassroomfor teachingChinese;calligraphyclassesbenefiting reading

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andwriting skills as well as cultural awareness; classes on conducting business in China;DiscoverChinaDayfeaturingcalligraphy,papercutting,culinaryandotherculturalactivities;ChineseLanguagecontests;ChineseTeacherInstitute;ShanxiUniversityEnsembleincludingtraditionaldanceandsong,instrumentalmusicperformances;ChinaBridgesummertriptoChina.BothschoolsystemsexpressedtheirstrongdesireforanewConfuciusInstitute.CharlotteChineseAcademy CharlotteChineseSchoolwww.charlottechineseacademy.org www.charlottechineseschool.comGreatWallSchoolofEducation CharlotteChineseArtSchoolwww.charlottechineseschool.org P.O.Box77801,Charlotte,NC28271ChineseTreeHouse ThePeacefulDragonmychinesetreehouse.com www.thepeacefuldragon.comAfter-schoolChineselanguageprogram Martialarts,TaiChi,andyogainstruction

Figure10.ChineseCulturalActivityatCommunityChineseSchools

ChineseAssociationsandCommunityActivity

The Charlotte Chinese community is diverse and boasts a number of local nonprofitassociations.TheseassociationsgenerallypromotecommunicationandculturalexchangesbetweenChineseAmericansandlocalcommunitiesthroughsocial,cultural,educationalandrecreational events and programs. Some emphasize providing resources to assist ChineseAmericans, particularly new residents and immigrants, to adjust to the greater Charlottecommunity; others focus on professional development, educational opportunities,communityserviceandleadershipbuilding. Chinese-AmericanAssociationofCharlotte CabarrusChineseAmericanAssociationwww.charlottechinese.com www.cabarruschinese.orgTheAsianHeraldLibrary ChinesePhoenixArtswww.asianlibrary.org www.chinesephoenixarts.comOverseasChineseCultureAthleticandArtsFederation NorthAmericaAsianAmericanAssociationwww.occaaf.org www.naaapcharlotte.org

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A signature event for the greater Charlotte Chinese community is the Chinese New YearGala. Various local Chinese community associations host family-friendly galas for bothChineseandnon-ChinesetocelebratethemostimportantChineseholidayfeaturingvariousperformances,liondance,Chinesefoodandotherfestivities.

Figure11.ChineseNewYearCelebrationinCharlotte

AnothersignatureeventinthegreaterCharlottecommunitytocelebrateChineseandAsianheritageistheCharlotteAsianFestivalandDragonBoatFestival.TheinauguralFestivalwaslaunched in 2000 by the Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce. It is acommunity-based recreational/competitive and an environmentally friendly event thatpromotes team-building,wellnessandcultural awareness. Ineachof the last threeyears,this cross-cultural event has attracted over 1,000 crew and well over 7,000 visitors whoparticipatedinboatracing,MissAsiaCarolinabeautypageant,dancing,singing,martialartsdemonstration,foodvendingandotherculturalfestivities.

Figure12.CharlotteDragonBoatFestival

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ChineseBusinessandAssociationsCharlotteandChina’seconomictieswentbackseveraldecades.Thesetiesdevelopedfirstintextileandfiberindustriesfromthelate1970sto2000s.Inthe2000s,CelaneseCorporation,withitsmajorfiberoperationsintheCarolinasanditsoperationalheadquarterinCharlotte,was a major trade and joint venture partner with China’s state-owned China NationalTobacco Corporation. In 2009, Duke Energy signedmemorandumwith China HuangnengGroup to pursue renewable and clean-energy projects. In 2012, they entered newagreements to expand research cooperation in the areas of advanced coal and carboncaptureandsequestrationtechnologies,utilizingChinesetechnologiesinDuke’sprojects.In recentyears,NorthCarolina isamajorU.S. recipientof foreigndirect investment (FDI)fromChina.AccordingtotheRhodiumGroup,from2000to2016,Chinesefirmsspentover$80billiononnewestablishmentsandacquisitionsintheU.S.,mostofitbetween2010and2015.Chinesefirmscurrentlyhas1,270establishmentsintheU.S.whereChinese-affiliatedcompaniesdirectlyemploymorethan80,000Americans.AnalystspredictthatChineseFDIis only at the early stage Japanese firms reached in the 1980s and there is tremendousgrowthpotentialforChineseinvestment,jobcreation,andotherbenefits.

Figure13.ChineseDirectInvestmentintheU.S.(2000-2016)

While North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham Triangle area is a top recipient of Chinese FDI,Charlottehasalsobenefitedfromthistrend.CharlotteBusinessJournal (2014)citedChinaasa key sourceof investment inCharlotte. ThenumberofChinese firms in theCharlotteareaincreasedsharplyfrom7in2012to41in2016(seeAppendix1foracompletelistofCharlotte-basedChinese companies).Nationally, innovation clusters, strongprotection forintellectual property rights, and talent pool are major draws for Chinese companies.Additionally,theCharlottearea’slowercostofliving,accesstoaneducatedworkforceandadvancedtraining,and laidback lifestylearealsoamongthereasons theCharlotte-region

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has attracted considerable Chinese FDI. The demand for Chinese language teaching andculturalactivityinlocalK-12schoolsandcollegeshasalsorisenasaresult. Anumberofnon-profitChinese/AsianbusinessassociationshavebeenservingtheCharlotteregiontofosterbusinessgrowthandeconomicdevelopment.

Figure14.MajorChineseChambersofCommerceinCharlotte

CarolinasAsianAmericanChamberofCommerce(www.caacc.com)TheCarolinasAsian-AmericanChamberofCommerce (CAACC) isanon-profitorganizationestablished in 1999 in Charlotte to foster cooperation and interaction within the Asiancommunities andbetween the community at large in Charlotte and the Carolinas for thebettermentofcommerce,cultureandcommunication.Itpromotes,sponsorsandsupportsefforts to sustain Asian traditional heritages through excellence in business practice,education,volunteerismandpublicservice.Throughouttheyears,CAACChaslaunchedAsianFestival,MissAsiaCarolinas,DragonBoatFestival,CharlotteAsianHeritageAssociation,thetrilingualeditionofAsianHeraldmonthly,AsianCulturalCenter,andtheBusinessDevelopmentCounciltoattractAsianinvestmenttothe Charlotte region. It also partnered with CMS to offer Chinese language programs,providedtutorandmentorprogramtounderperformingAsianhighschoolstudents,offeredsocial service for Asian refugee settlement, formed small business resource center andsponsored leadershiptrainingfornewgenerationsofSiancommunity leaders.CAACCalsojoinedMayoraldelegationvisittoChina. NorthAmericaChineseChamberofCommerce(www.na-ccc.org)North America Chinese Chamber of Commerce (NACCC) is a non-profit organizationestablished inCharlotte in 2014with the coremission to serve as aplatform forChineseinvestors and companies to establish, develop and grow their businesses while having asmoothtransitionintotheeconomic,culturalandsocialenvironmentinNorthAmerica. NACCC has worked with companies seeking direct investments in the renewable energysector, real estate industry, textile industry and auto parts recycling industrywith capitalinvestmentsrangingfrom$10millionto$160million.SinceitsinceptioninJune2014,Notonly has NACCCmade 30 trips to China with footprints over 23 cities, it also hosted 43groupsfrom21citiesinChinatoCharlotte.OnFebruary2,2016,NACCCexecutivesjoinedcity officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of a 376-unit apartment complex,thefirsttransit-orienteddevelopmentprojectintheUniversityCityareaalongthelightrailextension route to UNC Charlotte. This is the first project involving EB-5 investors inCharlotte. NACCC has worked closely with the SelectUSA program, a federal program topromote investments in the U.S. In June 2016, NACCC hosted the2016 SelectUSAInvestmentSummitCharlotteSpinoff.Atotalof9companieswith15representativesfrom

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ChinaandSingaporeattendedtheeventbeforeheadingtothe2016SelectUSAInvestmentSummitinWashington,D.C.

Figure15.CharlotteLightRail

CarolinasChineseChamberofCommerce(carolinaschinesechamber.com)TheCarolinasChineseChamberofCommerce(CCCC)wasestablishedin2011asanonprofitorganizationheadquarteredinCharlotte,NC.Theorganizationaimstobridgecross-bordertrade and investment activities between the U.S. and China and serve as a platform topromoteeconomic,culturalandeducationalexchangesfortheCarolinas. In2015,CCCCleda40-representivedelegationfromtheCarolinasfora2-weekbusinesstripin China. The delegation visited Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Nanning andChangsha, focusing on potential collaborations in high tech, green energy, andmedicinalresearch.Someofthebusinessproposalsinclude:

o openingnon-stopflightsbetweenCharlotteandmajorChinesecities o creatingamedicalschoolinCharlotteformedicaleducationandresearch o investinginandintroducingadvancedhealthcaretoChina o developingChinesemedicineproductioncapacityinNorthCarolina o introducingNASCARtoChina o developingtourismbetweenChinaandNorthCarolina o introducingtoChinaabiofueltechnologytoreducecarbonemission

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SisterCityBaodingAspartofthecity’s internationalizationefforts,CharlottehasdevelopedeightSisterCitiespartnershipsovertheyearstofosterpeople-to-peoplecontactthrougheducational,culturaland civic exchanges. As early as 1987, the city established Sister Cities partnership withBaoding, Hebei Province. This partnership has been maintained and solidified throughnumeroustripsofexchangebetweenthetwocities.

Figure16.BaodingDelegatesVisitinCharlottein2011

More recently, Baoding delegates visited Charlotte in 2011 (see Figure 16). Charlotte’sformerMayor Anthony Foxx also visited Baoding, Beijing, Langfang and Shanghai in late2011toexpand investment inCharlottefocusedoncleanenergy. It turnsoutthoughthatCharlottehadmuchtolearnfromBaoding,whichwasdesignatedbytheUnitedNationsin2011astheworld’sfirst“carbonpositive”citywherethecity’sproductionofcleanenergysavesmorepollutionthantheamountofcarbonemissionsreleasedintoitsair.

Figure17.BaodingDelegatesVisitPackardPlacein2013

In 2013, led by Baoding’s vice-major Zhou Xingshi, a delegation of Baoding officials andbusinessexecutivestouredCharlottetolearnmoreaboutCharlotte’sgrowingenergysector.Theymetwithcitycouncilmembers,touredthePlatinum-levelLEED-certifiedDukeEnergyCenter, visitedPackardPlace (see Figure17), sawapresentation fromproduct developerandinventorcommunityEdisonNationandvisitedUNCCharlotte.

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4. UNC Charlotte: A Brief Overview UNC Charlotte is the fastest growing urban public research institution in the 17-campusUniversityofNorthCarolinasystem. It isalsothe largest institutionofhighereducation inthe Charlotte region. Established in 1946, UNC Charlotte now enrolls more than 28,721students on its 1,000-acre main campus in University City in addition to its Center CitycampuslocatedinuptownCharlotteandtheCharlotteResearchInstituteCampusnorthofthe main campus. Opened in 2011, the 12-story-building Center City campus caters todowntownCharlotteprofessionals.TheCharlotteResearchInstitute,apartnershipbetweentheuniversityandcorporationsintheregion,wasestablishedtodeveloptechnology-basedacademicandbusinessendeavors.

Figure18.UNCCharlotteEntrance

Leveraging our location in the state’s largest city, we offer internationally competitiveprogramsof research and creative activity, exemplary undergraduate, graduate, andprofessional programs, and a focused set of community engagement initiatives.UNCCharlotte maintains a particular commitment to addressing the cultural, economic,educational,environmental,health,andsocialneedsofthegreaterCharlotteregion. History UNCCharlotte isoneofagenerationofuniversitiesfoundedinmetropolitanareasoftheUnited States immediately afterWorldWar II in response to rising educational demandsgenerated by the war and its technology. To servereturning veterans, North Carolina opened 14 eveningcollege centers in communities across the state. TheCharlotte Center opened in 1946 (see Figure 19. FirstClassofGraduatesontheright). Charlotte’seducationandbusinessleaders,longawareofthe area’s unmet needs for higher education,moved to

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havetheCharlotteCentertakenoverbythecityschooldistrictandoperatedasCharlotteCollege,offeringthefirsttwoyearsofcollegecourses.UltimatelyfinancialsupportforthecollegebecamearesponsibilityoftheStateofNorthCarolina. As soon as Charlotte College was firmly established, efforts were launched to give it acampus of its own. With the backing of Charlotte business leaders and legislators fromMecklenburgandsurroundingcounties,landwasacquiredonthenorthernfringeofthecityand bonds were passed to finance new facilities. In 1961, Charlotte College moved itsgrowingstudentbodyintotwonewbuildingsonwhatwastobecomea1,000-acrecampus10milesfromdowntownCharlotte.

Figure20.UNCCharlotteMainCampusAerialView

Threeyears later, theNorthCarolina legislatureapprovedbillsmakingCharlotteCollegeafour-year, state-supported college. The next year, 1965, the legislature approved billscreatingtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatCharlotte,thefourthcampusofthestatewideuniversity system. In 1969, UNC Charlotte began offering programs leading to master’sdegrees.In1992,itwasauthorizedtoofferprogramsleadingtodoctoraldegrees. Nowa research-intensiveuniversity,UNCCharlotte is the4th largestof the17 institutionswithin the University of North Carolina system and the largest public institution in theCharlotte region. Dr. Philip L. Duboiswas named asUNC Charlotte’s fourth Chancellor in2005. TheUniversitycomprisessevenprofessionalcollegesandoffersarangeofdegreeprogramsat the Doctoral,Master's and Bachelor's degree levels.More than 1,000 full-time facultycomprise the University’s academic departments and the 2016 Fall enrollment exceeded28,721students.UNCCharlotteboastsmore than120,000 livingalumniandadds roughly5,000newalumnieachyear.

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AcademicsUNCCharlotteoffersalargerangeofinternationallycompetitiveprogramsofresearchandcreative activity, including 23 doctoral, 62 master’s and 77 bachelor’s degree programsthroughninecolleges:theBelkCollegeofBusiness,theCollegeofArts+Architecture,theCollegeofComputingandInformatics,theCollegeofEducation,theCollegeofLiberalArts&Sciences, the College of Health and Human Services, the William States Lee College ofEngineering,theHonorsCollege,andtheUniversityCollege.Listedbelowareourmajorcollegesandtheirrespectivedepartmentalunits:BelkSchoolofBusinessAccountingBusinessInformationSystems&OperationsManagementEconomicsFinanceManagementMarketing

CollegeofEngineeringCivil&EnvironmentalEngineeringElectrical&ComputerEngineeringMechanicalEngineering&EngineeringScienceEngineeringTechnology&ConstructionManagement

CollegeofArts+ArchitectureArchitectureArt&ArtHistoryDanceMusicTheatre

CollegeofEducationCounselingEducationLeadershipMiddle,Secondary&K-12EducationReading&ElementaryEducationSpecialEducationandChildDevelopment

CollegeofComputing&InformaticsBioinformatics&GenomicsComputerScienceSoftwareandInformationSystems

CollegeofHealth&HumanServicesKinesiologyPublicHealthSciencesSocialWorkNursing

CollegeofLiberalArts&SciencesAfricanaStudiesAnthropologyBiologicalScienceCommunicationStudiesEnglishGlobal,International&AreaStudiesLanguages&CulturalStudiesPhilosophyPoliticalScience&PublicAdministrationReligiousStudies

AerospaceStudiesArmyROTC(MilitaryScience)ChemistryCriminalJustice&CriminologyGeography&EarthSciencesHistoryMathematics&StatisticsPhysics&OpticalSciencePsychologySociology

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Additionally,UniversityCollegeisaneducationcollegeforundergraduateswhohavenotyetdeclaredamajor.HonorsCollegeseekstoprovidehonor’sstudentswitharichliberalartscollegeexperience.InternationalizationEstablishedatUNCCharlotte in1975, theOfficeof InternationalPrograms (OIP) strives tostrengtheninternationaleducationattheUniversityaswellasintheCharlottecommunity.OIP positions global awareness and intercultural competence as fundamental to theinstitution’s curriculum and programming. UNC Charlotte maintains one of the largestinternational education offices in the state. The lead administrative operation (OIPA)coordinates the campus-wide internationalization efforts and administrative leadership ofitsintegratedunits.

Figure21.UNCCharlotteFaculty&StudentsStudyAbroadOIP’soverarchingadministrativeofficeleadstheUniversity’sinternationalmissionwiththesupportofseveralinterconnectedspecializationunits:Office of Study Abroad supports overseas engagement for students, faculty, and staff tostrengtheninterculturalcompetence.Morethan100countries,cities,andschoolsarepartof thestudyabroadnetwork.FacultyworkwithOEAtodevelopshort-termprogramsandsupportsemesterandyear-longoverseaseducationalopportunities.International Student & Scholar Office: In addition to helping academic departmentsnavigate the employment process for international faculty members, ISSO supportsinternationalstudentsandscholarsthroughpre-arrivalresources,orientationprogramming,individualadvising,immigrationdocumentassistance,andculturalengagement.English LanguageTraining Institute is the longestestablished intensiveEnglishprogram inthe Carolinas, offering six levels of English language instruction and cultural adaptation

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supporttostudents.InternationalinstructorsarealsoassistedbyELTI’sorientations,Englishlanguageassessment,communicationcourses,andconsulting.Office of Intercultural and Educational Experiences creates and implements intensive,structuredprogramsforgroups(e.g.,universitystudents,academicinstructors,businesses,etc.). The custom-designed programs integrate academic content, experiential learning,cultural and recreational activities, as well as opportunities for interaction with theUniversityandlocalcommunity. Global Education and Engagement implements curricular and co-curricular programs thatadvance international initiatives at UNC Charlotte. These programs strengthen student,faculty,andstaffmembers’globalawarenessandunderstanding.

Figure22.UNCCharlotteStudentsattheEnglishLanguageTrainingInstitute

OIPiscommittedtoofferingbothstudentsandfacultymemberswithvaluableresourcestodevelop of a more interconnected and global citizenry among our graduates. Below aresomeexamplesofourofferings.First,OIPprovidesarepertoireofcampus-basedinitiativestosupportourstudents’globallearningandinterculturalcompetencedevelopment. Global Certificate program provides curricular and co-curricular offerings to strengthenstudents’globallearning.Studentsearnpointsbasedonparticipationindesignatedcourses,activities,andoverseasengagementoptions. Global Gateways Residential Program International and internationally-minded femalestudents seeking to strengthen their global awareness and understanding are invited toapply to live in the Global Gateways house. Residents participate in social, communityservice,andeducationalprograms. Intercultural Connections provides students with various engagement opportunities tointeract with others from different cultures through language conversation (ELTI Talks,ConversationPartners),socialinteraction(InternationalCoffeeHour),andstructuredgroups(FriendshipandCulturalExchange,iClub). International Student Service UNC Charlotte celebrates the nearly 2,000 internationalstudents who enrich our campus community with their global perspectives. TheInternational Student and Scholar Office provides information, services, and programs toassiststudentsinachievingtheireducationalandpersonalgoals. StudyAbroadOpportunitiesAllstudentsareencouragedtoparticipateintheacademicallyrigorous,cost-effective,andenrichingstudyabroadprograms.Studentscanexperiencenewplacesintheworldwhileearningacademiccredittowardgraduation.

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TheOfficeofInternationalProgramsoffersavarietyofopportunitiesforfacultyandstaffdevelopmenttoenhancetheinstitution’sglobaldimensions: OIP University Council Representatives from the seven academic colleges, together withteammembers essential to UNC Charlotte’s internationalization, serve as members. TheUniversity Council provides a central communication point regarding campus-wideinternational engagement and assists with identification of future directions forinternationalinitiatives.

Figure23.UNCCharlotteMainCampusinSpringGlobal Engagement Initiatives UNC Charlotte promotes global learning through strategiccountry and regional initiatives. Our efforts focus on targeted international recruitment,overseaspartnerships,researchconnections,grantdevelopment,andstudyabroad. Faculty Overseas Exchange OIP works with faculty to explore international exchangepossibilitiessuchastheFulbrightExchangeProgram,reciprocaldepartmentexchanges,andexchangesbasedonagreementsbetweenUNCCharlotteandoverseasinstitutions. Short-TermStudyAbroadCoursesOIP’sOffice of EducationAbroadworkswith faculty todevelopandimplementshort-term,credit-bearingstudyabroadexperiences.Thesecustomprogramsprovideaplatformtoenhancestudents’education. International Faculty & Academic Department Support OIP provides international faculty,visiting scholars, and teaching assistants with immigration and visa support, languageassessment and enhancement, and cultural adjustment resources as needed. Academicdepartments receive support navigating the hiring process for international faculty fromOIP’sInternationalStudentandScholarOffice. In collaboration with campus academic and co-curricular partners, OIP orchestratesnumerousprogramstopromoteglobalandinterculturallearning. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the US Departments of State andEducation.Ithighlightsourcampuscommitmenttoglobalandinternationalunderstandingthroughlectures,presentations,films,andprograms.

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Foreign Policy Lecture Series OIP is the North Carolina state coordinator for the ForeignPolicy Association’s program, Great Decisions. In Charlotte, OIP organizes a communitylectureseriestohelpcitizensbecomebetter informedandabletosharetheiropinionsonworldevents. International Speaker Series Political dignitaries, ambassadors, authors, andother expertssharetheirglobalknowledge,addressingdiversetopicsfromeconomicsandbusinessaffairstoglobalizationandhumanrights.

Figure24.UNCCharlotteInternationalFestivalWorldAffairsCouncilofCharlotteOIPservesastheUNCCharlottehostfortheWorldAffairsCouncilofCharlotte.WACCprovidesglobally focusedprogramming for theUniversityandtheCharlottecommunity,includinglectures,youngprofessionals’engagement,networking,andabroadexperiences. UNCCharlotteInternationalFestivalA50-yeartraditionwithover20,000annualattendees,theInternationalFestivalcelebratesthemusic,dance,food,andcultureoftheUniversity’sandCharlotte’sinternationalcommunity. PhiBetaDeltaHonorSocietyAchartermemberof thePhiBetaDelta InternationalHonorSocietyforScholars,theUNCCharlottePBDMuChapterrecognizesexcellenceinthefieldofinternationaleducationandexchange. InternationalExplorationOpportunitiesOIP invitesCharlottecommunitymembers,aswellas UNC Charlotte faculty, staff, and alumni, to expand their global awareness byparticipatinginshort-termoverseasopportunities.

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CollegeofLiberalArts&Sciences

As the largest college atUNCCharlotte, the College of Liberal Arts& Sciences houses 20departments in thehumanities, social sciences,physical sciencesandmilitary sciences (aslistedintheprevioussectiononUNCCharlotte’sAcademics),aswellas24appliedresearchcentersandinterdisciplinaryprograms.Itoffers8doctoraldegrees,34master'sdegreesandgraduatecertificatesand34undergraduatedegrees.Dr.NancyA.GutierrezisProfessorofEnglishandshebecametheDeanoftheCollegeofArtsandSciencesinJuly2005. The College unites behind the goal of educating critical and imaginative thinkers throughinquiryandengagement.Wesupportmulticulturalawareness,inclusionandresponsivenesstoaworld increasinglycharacterizedbydiversityandchange.Here,wehighlighthowourfacultyinfusetheirscholarship,researchandcommunityworkwithaglobalfocus.

Figure25.UNCCharlotteMainCampus

Ourcollegeresearchesawidevarietyofhistoricandcontemporaryglobalquestions.Facultyin the College take their expertise around the world—and bring the world home toCharlotte. The College is also home to several research centers that host visitinginternational scholars, sponsor conferences and lectures, and promote the study ofinternationalissues.ManycoursestaughtintheCollegefocusoninternationalphenomena. TheCollegeisasourceoffacultyspeakersfortheGreatDecisionsprogram,coordinatedbytheOfficeofInternationalPrograms.ThisnationalprogramoftheForeignPolicyAssociationis the largest non-partisan citizen education effort of its kind and has provided qualityinformationandtoolsforover50years.In2016,allthespeakerswerefromtheCollege. In2015,theDepartmentofGlobal,InternationalandAreaStudiesco-sponsored,alongwiththeOfficeofInternationalPrograms,AtkinsLibraryandCharlotteWorldAffairsCouncil,theon-campusInternationalSpeakersSeriesthatfeatured:

o LyleGoldstein,ChinaMaritimeStudiesInstitute,USandChina. o MatthewBishop,TheEconomist,SocialEntrepreneurshipintheGlobalEconomy o RobertWalker,PopulationInstitute,WorldPopulationTrends o H.E.ArunSingh,IndianAmbassadortotheUS,Indian-USRelations.

In another key example, the UNC Charlotte Mount Zion Project advances research andteaching inthehumanitiesbybringingtogetherstudents,scholars,andadiverserangeofprofessionals in the study and practice of cultural transformation. Students enrolled in asummerstudyabroadcourseinJerusalemthatcombinescourseworkinCharlotteandfirst-handexperienceinhistory,languagesandculturesoftheregion.

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DepartmentofLanguagesandCultureStudiesAs the hosting department for theUNCCharlotte Confucius Institute, TheDepartment ofLanguages andCulture Studies (LACS) is adynamic, research-intensivedepartmentwith acommitment to balancing curricular tradition and innovation.Weoffer anMA in Spanishwith a track in English-Spanish translation studies; undergraduate majors and minors inFrench, German, Japanese and Spanish; additional minors in Chinese, Classical Studies,Francophone Studies, Italian, Russian and Film Studies; beginning and intermediate levelclasses in Arabic, Farsi, and Portuguese; a graduate and undergraduate Certificate inTranslating; a Certificate in Business Language; online courses via theUniversity of NorthCarolinaLanguageExchange;andavarietyofstudyabroadexperiences.TheDepartmentboastsamodernLanguageResourceCenter,whichprovidescutting-edgetechnologyforlanguagepedagogy,andadiversefacultyfromaroundtheworldwhooffermore than200 coursestomore than 4,000 students annually.We are unique in thatwehavehadanundergraduateprogramintranslationstudiessince1979.Wearebuildingonthatstrengthnowatthegraduatelevel.

Figure26.UNCCharlotteDepartmentofLanguages&CulturalStudiesFacultyForLanguagesandCultureStudies,“internationalization”isthekeywordaroundwhichourentire program is built. It is involved in everything we do, from classes to co-curricularactivities.Wehire international faculty;we teach literature and culture fromall over theworld;we sponsor a variety of faculty and student exchange programs (most recently toSantander, Spain, and Limoges, France) and have provided directors for the Kingstonprogram, the semester in Spain, and several summer abroad programs as well as SpringBreaktripstoGermany,Japan,France,andItaly.Preparing our students to be global citizens forms part of our department’s missionstatement:“LACSplaysauniqueroleattheUniversity inpreparingstudentsforagloballyinteractiveworkplacewhereone’sknowledgeofdifferentlanguagesandculturesandone’sabilitytomoveeasilybetweenthemisacriticalasset.”Ourstudentsandfacultyregularlypartner with different community organizations to provide many international culturalexperiences for our region. This spring, for example,we are hosting an international filmfestivalthatwillhighlightcinemaandbringspeakersfromallovertheworld.Dr. Ann González is Chair of the Department of Languages and Culture Studies. She isoriginally from North Carolina. She has a B.A. in English from the University of North

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CarolinaChapelHill,andanM.A.andPh.D.inComparativeLiteraturefromtheUniversityofSouth Carolina. She spent eight years teaching English and American literature at theUniversity of Costa Rica (1980-88). Currently, she is Interim Chair of the Department ofLanguagesandCultureStudiesandProfessorofSpanishandLatinAmericanStudiesattheUniversity of North Carolina Charlotte, where she has taught since 1990. Her researchinterests include Latin American narrative, Hispanic children’s literature, and literarytranslation.Hermost recent bookResistance and Survivalwas publishedbyUniversity ofArizonaPressin2009.OtherpublicationshaveappearedinChildren’sLiteratureAssociationQuarterly,Caribe,andSECOLASAnnals.

Figure27.UNCCharlotteInternationalFilmFestivalDr. Ana-Isabel Aliaga-Buchenau is Associate Chair of the Department of Languages andCultureStudies.SheisoriginallyfromHannover,Germany.SheholdsanMAinComparativeLiteraturefromtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHill,anMAinEnglishandFrenchfrom the Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany and a PhD in ComparativeLiterature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has taught at theUniversityofSouthernMississippi,DavidsonCollege,andhasbeenatUNCCharlottesince2002. Currently, she is Associate Professor of German and Associate Chair of theDepartment of Languages and Culture Studies. Her research interests include the 19thcenturyUS,GermanandFrenchnovel, fictionofGerman immigrantstotheUS inthe19thand early 20th centuries, and literary translation. Her most recent book is a translationentitled “Máximo Castillo and theMexican Revolution,”whichwill appearwith LouisianaStateUniversityPress inNovember2016.OtherpublicationshaveappearedwithSECOLASAnnals,TheLatinamericanist,ReligionsandPostscript.

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5. UNC Charlotte’s Chinese Ties MinorinChineseTheDepartmentofLanguages&CultureStudieshasofferedclassesinChineseforover20years,butonlyrecentlycreatedaMinorinChinesethatbeganFall2014,staffcurrentlybyafull-timelecturerandapart-timelecturer(seetheirbiosbelow).Alreadywehave10minorsregisteredfortheprogram.OurgoalistostrengthenourMinorinChineseandtobeabletobuild aMajor in Chinese,whichwill be the first in the state. Chinese has always had anactive student club and has participated in various international activities on campus:InternationalFestival,StudyAbroadFair,andInternationalFilmFestival.OneyearwesponsoredaSpringBreakstudyabroadcoursetoBeijing.Morebroadly,thereissubstantialinterestinChineseandAsianStudiesthroughouttheuniversity,particularlyinCommunicationStudies,Global, International andAreaStudies,History,Religious Studies,and International Business. In the Charlotte area, there is also acute interest in China. InbothUnionandMecklenburgCounty,thepublicschoolsofferawell-establishedprograminChineselanguageandculturefromelementarygradesthroughhighschool.

Figure28.UNCCharlotteStudents

Ms. Tianran Liu is full-time lecturer for the Chinese minor. She was born and raised inJiangsu, China. In 2009, she receivedherB.A. in TeachingChinese asA Foreign LanguagefromNanjingUniversity,China.ShecontinuedherstudyatUniversityofVirginiaintheU.S.,andreceivedanM.A.inLinguistics.Aftergraduation,shetaughtatHampton-SydneyCollegein Virginia for 3 years (2011-2014). Currently she is the Coordinator and Lecturer of theChinese Program at University of North Carolina Charlotte. Her research and teachinginterestslieinChineselanguage,Chinesecivilizationandinterculturalcommunication.Dr.Amanda(Aihua)Zhouispart-timelecturerfortheChineseminor.ShewaseducatedatQufuNormalUniversity,whichpreparedhertoteachtheChineselanguage.SheearnedanMAinFilmStudiesattheShandongNormalUniversityin2009andaPhDinPlaywritingattheShanghaiTheatreAcademyin2015. SheworkedasanassistanttoTaiwanesetheatredirectorStanLaiontwoproductionsin2014andwroteherPhDdissertationabouthisplays.Shewrote20episodesofanoriginaltelevisionseries,HappyHouse,publishedasabookinChina in2012.Shehaspublishedninearticles, including two inShanghaiTheatre in2012and 2014, and an article in Yihai in 2013. She received the second place award in theShangdongNormalUniversityCalligraphyContestin2008.SheworkedasaChineseteacherandEnglishteacher inShandongandShanghaipreviously.AtUNCCharlotte,shehasbeenteachingBeginningChineseandChineseFilmcoursessince2015.

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ChineseStudentandScholarExchangeUNCCharlotteenjoysarobustengagementwithourpartnersinChina.Thisactivityincludestheexchangeofstudentsandscholarsaswellasresearchandteachingactivities.Inaddition,wecoordinateculturalactivitieswithvariousstudentandfacultygroupsthatpromoteChinaaswellas languageandculture.Wecurrentlymaintainactivepartnershipswith9Chineseinstitutionsofhighereducationwithmanyacademicunitsparticipatingintheexchange:

o ChinaUniversityofMining&Technologyo EastChinaNormalUniversityo FudanUniversityo RenminUniversityo SuzhouUniversityo SuzhouUniversityofScienceandTechnologyo TongjiUniversityo XidianUniversityo XiamenUniversity

Figure29.UNCCharlotteMainCampus

UNCCharlotte currentlyhosts the second largestnumberof international students in theUniversityofNorthCarolina(UNC)SystemandmanyofthosestudentsoriginatefromChina.Currently, UNC Charlotte hosts approximately 220 Chinese students enrolled in ourundergraduate,Master’sandPh.D.programs.UNCCharlottealsohostsanumberofvisitingscholarsfromChinaonanannualbasiswhocontributegreatlytoourteachingandresearchprograms.ThetablebelowshowsthatovertheyearsthenumberofJ-1exchangeChinesestudentsandvisitingChinesescholarshavebeenonanincreasingtrajectory.

Table4.ChineseExchangeStudentsandVisitingScholarsatUNCCharlotte(2011-2016)

J-1ExchangeChineseStudents VisitingChineseScholarsFall2011 0 10Spring2012 2 6Fall2012 3 28Spring2013 4 18Fall2013 3 45Spring2014 0 27Fall2014 5 50Spring2015 3 40Fall2015 8 64Spring2016 6 39Fall2016 9 53

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China-FocusedFacultyandResearchUNCCharlottefacultymaintainsanextensiveandactivenetworkofacademicandindustrypartnershipswithChina.Thefollowingtableprovidesaselect listofUNCCharlottefacultywhose research and community services have a “China focus” (more details about theirworkcanbefoundinAppendix2): Name Discipline/Rank ResearchAreas&ChinaConnections FacultyfromtheCollegeofLiberalArts&Sciences(CLAS)

1 Dr.CherylBrown

PoliticalScience&PublicPolicy/AssociateProfessor

Technology,data,privacy,trust,China,cybersecuritypolicy

2 Dr.YangCao Sociology/AssociateProfessor

Organization,work,socialstratification&mobility,Chinastudies

3 Dr.MarenEhlers

History/AssistantProfessor

HistoryofearlyandmodernJapan,historyofEastAsia;teachesChinesehistory

4 Dr.MinJiang CommunicationStudies/AssociateProfessor

Chinesemedia,Internettechnologies&policies

5

Dr.WeiningXiang

GeographyandEarthScience/Professor

Landscapeandurbanplanning,socio-ecologicalsystemsanalysisandmodeling,sustainableurbanandregionaldevelopmentinChina

6 Dr.JianZhang BiologicalScience/AssociateProfessor

Livermicrocirculation,livertransplant&regeneration;PreviouspresidentofChineseAmericanAssociationofCharlotte

7 Dr.WeiZhao Sociology/AssociateProfessor

Organization,economicsociology,China,globalizationanddevelopment

FacultyfromOtherColleges

8 Dr.ShiChen PublicHealth/AssistantProfessor

Environmentalandsocioeconomicfactorsofhealth,occupationalhealth,epidemiologyofkidneydiseaseinChina

9 Dr.ZhongjieLin

Architecture/AssociateProfessor

Modernarchitecturalmovements,modernarchitectureandurbanisminEastAsia;builtdualMasterprogramwithTongji

10 Dr.YuWang ComputerScience/Professor

Algorithmanalysis,designnetworking,wirelessnetworks;collaborationsinChina

11 Dr.YongZhang Electrical&ComputerEngineering/BissellDistinguishedProfessor

Energyandsustainability,optoelectronicsandnanostructures,spectroscopyandcomputation;collaborationsinChina

12 Dr.KexinZhao ManagementInformationSystems/AssociateProfessor

Economicsofinformationsystems,e-businessstandardization,ande-commerce,China

Table5.UNCCharlotteChina-FocusedFacultyandResearch

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China-RelatedCampusActivity

Over theyears,UNCCharlottehasengaged inmanyChina-relatedactivities throughbothformalinstitutionalarrangementsandinformalfaculty-ledresearchinitiatives.TheOfficeofInternational Programs developed a China Initiative to strengthen ties between China,UNCCharlotte and North Carolina by exchanging knowledge across academic disciplines,promotingsocio-economicinteractionsandanunderstandingofChineselifeandculture. StudyAbroadatFudanUniversity ThroughtheFudanUniversitypartnership,MasterofPublicAdministrationstudentsstudyandresearchabroadwhilecompletingtheirMPAatFudanUniversity. XiamenUniversityStudentsExploretheU.S.GraduateSchoolExperienceatUNCCharlotte In July 2012, a group of 26 undergraduate students visited UNC Charlotte from XiamenUniversity to gain insight into the U.S. graduate school experience as part of a programofferedbytheOfficeof InternationalPrograms.Whilehere,thestudentsmetwithfacultyandstudentsaswellas recentgraduates includingapanelon internshipsandnetworkingcoordinatedbytheBelkCollegeofBusiness.

Figure30.XiamenStudentsVisitCharlotte;UNCCharlotteStudentsinBeijingStudyAbroadinChina:StudentsfromFiveCollegesExploreBeijingTogether InMarch 2012, an undergraduate course “Beijing in theMirror of Time:Glimpses ofOldChina in aModernMetropolis,”wasoffered toadiverse cohortofundergraduates,mostwith no prior experience studying Chinese language, history, politics, or business,culminatinginastudyabroadexperienceinBeijinginMarch2012. XiamenStudentEnrollmentGrowthinCollegeofBusiness InMarch2012,Dr.RickConboy,DirectorofGlobalBusinessStudies intheBelkCollegeofBusiness, met with nine Xiamen University students in the summer of 2012, who wereenrolledintheCollege'searlyentrygraduateprogramsforFall2012.TheCollegewouldgoontoenrollasmanyas30studentsfromXiamenintheM.S.MathematicalFinanceprogram,ajointprogramwiththeDepartmentofMathematicsforFall2012. DeanofCollegeofLiberalArts&SciencesTravelstoChinatoStrengthenPartnerships InOctober2011,NancyGutierrez,DeanoftheCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciences,andJoëlGallegos,AssistantProvostforInternationalPrograms,travelledtoChinatofurtherdeveloppartnershipsandexchangeopportunitieswithkeypartnersinBeijing,Shanghai,andXiamen.

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Figure31.DeanGutierrezVisitsChina;UNCCharlotteHostsChinaLawSchoolDelegationAssociateProfessorofArchitectureServesasVisitingProfessoratTongjiUniversity InFall2011,Dr.PeterWong,AssociateProfessorandGraduateProgramCoordinatorintheSchool of Architecture, served as a visiting scholar at Tongji University in Shanghai. As avisiting scholar, Wong lectured and served as a review critic in five graduate andundergraduatecoursesintheCollegeofArchitectureandUrbanPlanningatTongji. CollegeofComputingandInformaticsDr.FanNamedFirstUNC-FudanSeniorFellow In Fall 2011, following a highly selective application process, Dr. Jianping Fan, associateprofessor in the College of Computing and Informatics, was named the first UNC-FudanSeniorFellow.ThisprestigiousfellowshipdevelopednewopportunitiesforpartnershipwithFudanandotherChineseuniversitiesonbehalfofUNCCharlotteandtheUNCsystem. UNCCharlotteHostsDelegationfromChineseLawSchool In April 2011, hosted by criminology professor Paul Friday and Qingli Meng of UNCCharlotte'sDepartmentofCriminalJusticeChinaCenter,adelegationoflawprofessorsandprosecutors from Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing, China,visitedUNCCharlottefromApril5-6,2011aspartofacomprehensivetrainingprogramforjudgesandprosecutorsinjuvenilejustice.

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6. UNC Charlotte Confucius Institute Plan MissionandGoals ThemissionoftheUNCCharlotteConfuciusInstituteisto: • further the development and understanding of Chinese language and culture onUNC

Charlottecampus • further the development and understanding of Chinese language and culture in the

biggerCharlottearea • furthercollaborationbetweentheU.S.andChina,andespeciallybetweenUNCCharlotte

andShanxiUniversityinresearch,learning,studentandstaffexchange

TheUNCCharlotteConfuciusInstitutesetthesefollowinggoals: FocusonLearning&Teaching • StrengthenandenhanceUNCCharlotte’sChinesecurriculum • SupportK-12schoolsintheCharlotteareawiththeircurrentChinesecurricula • ConnectUNCCharlottestudentswithChinesescholarshipsforshorttermor longterm

studyabroadprogramsinChina • OfferstudentsfromShanxiuniversitytheopportunitytostudyatUNCCharlottethrough

selectedcollaborativeagreements • Develop and strengthen links with Charlotte business community by offering training

andsupportinChineselearninganddevelopcollaborativeventures • Developlanguagecoursesopentothepublicbasedonneeds • EstablishanHSK(ChineseLanguageTest)center,whenappropriate,asacentraltesting

locationfortheCharlotteareaandtocomplementexistingcentersintheCarolinas:NCStateUniversityandUniversityofSouthCarolinaatColumbia

• DevelopteachertrainingcoursestodeveloptheskillsofprimaryandsecondaryschoolChineseteachersintheCharlottearea

FocusonInterculturalAwareness

• PromoteChineselanguageandculturethroughcollaborationswithlocalK-12schools • OffercoursesopentopubliconsubjectssuchasTaiji,Chinesecalligraphy,andetc. • PairChinesespeakersandChineselearnersforlanguageandculturalexchange • ProvideconversationhourstobuildfellowshipinChineseculture • PromoteChinesecultureandphilosophythroughfilmsandotherculturalartefacts • OrganizeseminarsandlecturesonChineseissues,suchaseconomy,cultureandpolitics • Establishconnectionwiththelocalmedia,Chineseembassyandotherstakeholders

ManagementStructureofUNCCharlotteConfuciusInstitute(CI)

Figure32.UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstituteManagementStructure

UNCCharlotteChairof

Languages&CultureStudies

ChairpersonDeanNancyGutierrez

BoardofDirectorsChancellorPhilipDubois GeneralPartySecretaryShuaiShiProvostJoanLorden PresidentSuotangJiaAssistantProvostJoëlGallegosVicePresidentSidianLiCAACCChairmanJohnChen VicePresidentJunYangWellsFargoVicePresidentEdYuForeignAffairsDirectorGuodongYuYHOConsultingCEOYnezOlshausen

UNCCharlotteCIDirectorTobehired

ShanxiUniv.CIDirector

TobehiredUNCCharlotteCIFaculty

AdvisoryBoardChairedbyDr.MinJiang

Part-TimeGradAssistant

ShanxiUniv.ChineseTeachers

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UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstituteFacultyAdvisoryBoard Name Discipline/Rank ResearchAreas&ChinaConnections FacultyfromtheCollegeofLiberalArts&Sciences(CLAS)

1 Dr.CherylBrown

PoliticalScience&PublicPolicy/AssociateProfessor

Technology,data,privacy,trust,China,cybersecuritypolicy

2 Dr.YangCao Sociology/AssociateProfessor

Organization,work,socialstratification&mobility,Chinastudies

3 Dr.MarenEhlers

History/AssistantProfessor

HistoryofearlyandmodernJapan,historyofEastAsia;teachesChinesehistory

4 Dr.MinJiang CommunicationStudies/AssociateProfessor

Chinesemedia,Internettechnologies&policies

5 Dr.ShawnLong

CommunicationStudies/Professor,AssociateDean

Organizationalcommunication,virtualwork,diversity;OverseesthisConfuciusInstituteforCLASasAssociateDean

6

Dr.WeiningXiang

GeographyandEarthScience/Professor

Landscapeandurbanplanning,socio-ecologicalsystemsanalysisandmodeling,sustainableurbanandregionaldevelopmentinChina

7 Dr.JianZhang BiologicalScience/AssociateProfessor

Livermicrocirculation,livertransplant&regeneration;PreviouspresidentofChineseAmericanAssociationofCharlotte

8 Dr.WeiZhao Sociology/AssociateProfessor

Organization,economicsociology,China,globalizationanddevelopment

FacultyfromOtherColleges

9 Dr.ShiChen PublicHealth/AssistantProfessor

Environmentalandsocioeconomicfactorsofhealth,occupationalhealth,epidemiologyofkidneydiseaseinChina

10 Dr.ScottKissau

Middle,Secondary,andK-12Education/AssociateProfessor,Chair

Foreignlanguageteaching,readingcomprehension,classroompractice;interestedinhelpingwithHSK

11 Dr.ZhongjieLin

Architecture/AssociateProfessor

Modernarchitecturalmovements,modernarchitectureandurbanisminEastAsia;builtdualMasterprogramwithTongji

12 Dr.ChristinaSanchez

AssociateDirectoroftheOfficeofInternationalPrograms(OIP)

Interculturalcommunication,internationalizationofcampus;facilitationofCIbuildingatUNCCharlotte

13 Dr.YuWang ComputerScience/Professor

Algorithmanalysis,designnetworking,wirelessnetworks;collaborationsinChina

14 Dr.YongZhang Electrical&ComputerEngineering/BissellDistinguishedProfessor

Energyandsustainability,optoelectronicsandnanostructures,spectroscopyandcomputation;collaborationsinChina

15 Dr.KexinZhao ManagementInformationSystems/AssociateProfessor

Economicsofinformationsystems,e-businessstandardization,ande-commerce,China

Table6.UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstituteFacultyAdvisoryBoard

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FinancialResource&ManagementofConfuciusInstituteFundingAs part of the application bid for the UNC Charlotte Confucius Institute the followinginformationisrequired,asper“ConstitutionandBy-LawsoftheConfuciusInstitutes”:

Chapter4,Section19,D; “Thecapitalforestablishmentisinplace,andthatthesourceoffundingisstable” UNC Charlotte will allocate appropriate funds and in-kind contributions towards theConfuciusInstitutethroughoutthetermofagreement.

Chapter4,Section20,E; “Astatementdetailing thesource, regulationandmanagementof funds for theproposedConfuciusInstitute” UNCCharlottehasallocatedofficespacefortheinstituteandrenovationfunds,authorizedthehiringofa tenure-track faculty inChinese,aU.S.director for the Instituteandapart-time graduate student to facilitate its work. We also plan to raise funds by offeringcustomized Chinese instructions to local business professionals and charging a fee forenrollment.ThesecourseswillbetaughtbyConfuciusInstituteChineseteachers,supervisedbytheInstitute’sco-directors.

Chapter5,Section23 “ThefundsforitsannualprojectsshallberaisedbyindividualConfuciusInstitutesandtheChinesePartiestogetherinaratioofapproximately1:1”. UNCCharlotteprovidesin-kindcontributionsinthefollowingforms:

o Fundsforspaceconversionandofficerenovations o U.S.ConfuciusInstituteDirectorpaidbyUNCCharlotte o Part-timegraduatestudentpaidbyUNCCharlotte o OtherstaffsupportneededtomaintaintheConfuciusInstitute

Chapter5,Section24 “The aforementioned funds provided by the Chinese Parties will be managed throughproject management measures. Detailed measures are stipulated in Regulations forAdministeringtheChineseFundsfortheConfuciusInstitutes” FollowingtheproceduresoutlinedintheRegulationsoftheConfuciusInstituteConstitutionandBylaws,fundsfortheConfuciusInstitutewillbemanagedjointlybytheUNCCharlotteCIDirectorandShanxiCIDirectorwhoaretoreporttotheBoardofDirectors.TheInstitute’sannualbudgetwillbeapprovedbytheBoardanditsexpensesaresubjecttoauditingandoversight.

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Staffing,Space,Facilities&Equipment Staffing

• U.S.ConfuciusInstituteDirector • ChineseConfuciusInstituteDirector • UNCCharlottePart-timeGraduateAssistant • ChineseInstructorsfromShanxiUniversity(TheywillactasteachingassistantstoChinese

facultyatUNCCharlotte.AtlocalK-12schools,theywillbesupervisedbylocalschoolsandactasteachingassistants.)

Space UNC Charlotte Confucius Institute will be located in the Department of Languages andCultureStudieson the top floorof theCollegeofEducationBuilding.RequestshavebeenmadeforthefollowingatUNCCharlotte:

• OfficeforU.S.ConfuciusInstituteDirector • OfficeforChineseConfuciusInstituteDirector • SharedOfficeforChineseInstructorsfromShanxiUniversity(alsoutilizedasCultureDisplay

Room) Inaddition,UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstitutewillalsohaveaccesstothefollowing:

• LanguageResourceCenterintheDepartmentofLanguages&CultureStudies • SmallconferenceroomintheDepartmentofLanguages&CultureStudies • Kitchen/loungeintheDepartmentofLanguages&CultureStudies • Otherflexspaceoncampusbasedonneedsandavailability

FacilitiesandEquipment

Thefacilitiesandequipmentavailabletoteachersandstudentsinclude:

• Alltheinstructionalfacilitiesandequipmentintheallocatedandaccessiblespacesoutlinedabove

ShanxiUniversityandHanbancanprovide:

• Chinesebooks • Chinesejournals • Chinesedictionaries • Chinesemagazines • ChineseculturalDVDs

UNCCharlotteConfuciusInstitutecouldalsoworkwiththeAtkinsLibrarytoidentifyarangeofChineselearningresourcesandmakethemaccessibletoChineselearningstudents.

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7. Summary UNC Charlotte, with its extensive links to Chinese academic institutions, is demonstrablywell placed to establish a Confucius Institute. Its teaching and research parallels andinterests with Shanxi University, making Shanxi University the ideal institution forcollaboration. The demographics of UNC Charlotte, the city of Charlotte and the biggerNorthCarolinastateshowthatCharlotte isat theepicenterofavibrantandmulticulturalsociety and that the introduction of a Confucius Institute for the region would be mostwelcomed. The formation of a Confucius Institute at UNC Charlotte in collaborationwithShanxi University would be of great benefit to both institutions, their immediatecommunitiesandtheirrespectiveregions.

Figure33.UNCCharlotteCenterCityCampus

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8. Appendices Appendix1.ChineseBusinessintheCharlotteArea[41inTotal] ATDComputerSolutionsBeijingGuohuaTechnologyGroupBeijingHengjuBluestarSiliconesUSACorpChangzhouGlobeCo.Ltd.ChinaNationalBluestarGroupCo.Ltd.ChongqingRATOPowerCoLtdCiTiCDivastalWheelMfg.Co.Ltd.CixingGroupCoLtdDavisConveyorComponents,IncCoscoContainerLinesAmericasCraftmasterFurnitureCWBEARINGUSA,IncDalianFujisanOfficeEquipmentCo.Ltd.DanielsCompanyDenverGlobalProductsDezanShira&AssociatesFujisanThermalRibbonUSALtd.HipLikGroupHLPClearPackageProductsUSAIncHuatekConsulting,IncHYAutoPartsJetionSolarUSAJiangdongNorthAmericaLLCJiangsuJiangdongGroupJiangsuRoyalHomeUSAInc.JNFibersKeerAmericaCo.KSMCastingsGroupMartinSprocket&Gear,IncMasterworkUSAMasterworkMachineryCo.MaxTronicTechnologiesLLCPacteraTechnologyInternationalLtdPositecUSAIncSamsonHoldingLtdSunFibersLLCSunriseGlobalMarketingTidesandTimesUSAIncTodaytecUSCo.WuxiTaijiPaperIndustryCo.LtdZhejiangHaoyangVehiclePartsCo.Ltd.

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Appendix2.ConfuciusInstituteFacultyAdvisoryBoardFacultyBiosDr. Cheryl L. BROWN is Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science andPublic Administration at UNC Charlotte. She teaches courses on Chinese domestic andforeign policy; East Asian foreign policy; cybersecurity policy; privacy, ethics, andgovernanceofbigdata;andlawandpolicyoftheInternetofThings.ShereceivedherPh.D.and M.A. degrees in political science from the University of Michigan. Her Ph.D.concentration inChinese studies included field research inHongKong,Taiwan,andChinaand internships with the American Institute in Taiwan and the United Nations. Sheconductedpost-doctoralresearchattheEast-WestCenterinHonolulu,Hawaii.Dr.Brown’scurrent research addresses China’s international role in science and technology policydevelopment.ShehaspublishedworkonChina’ssecond-generationIDcardandbiometricsin thehealth carepolicy. Shehasworkedwith research teamsat variousuniversitiesandthink tanks in China and has given presentations at Beijing University, Fudan University,NanjingUniversity,SuzhouUniversity,andtheChineseAcademyofSciences.Dr.Brownhasplayedanintegralroleininternational,national,stateandlocalinitiativesandprogramsonChina. Some of the activities include serving as a scholar-escort for the Delegation ofPresidentsofHistoricallyBlackCollegesandUniversities to thePeople'sRepublicofChinacommissionedbyPresidentRonaldReagan; accompanying thePeople’s Republic of ChinaAmbassador to the United States Han Xu on a tour of the Charlotte campus of IBM anddelivering the farewell statement inMandarin at the UNC Charlotte community banquethonoring Ambassador Han; translating the Charlotte-Baoding Sister City Agreement andreadingitinMandarinandEnglishatthesigningceremonyandescortingtheBaodingSisterCity Delegation to Washington, DC; writing op-ed articles on China for The CharlotteObserver as a selected guest columnist; working with executive-level leaders oforganizations, industries, anduniversities in Charlotte and theUnited States to forge tieswithChina;andpresentingtalksandmoderatingdiscussionsonChinainbusinesses,schools,universities,faith-basedorganizations,andforUNCCharlottedonors.

Dr.YangCAOisAssociateProfessorofSociologyandPublicPolicyatUNCCharlotte.Hewasborn inChinaandattendedRenminUniversity forundergraduateeducation.He receivedhis Ph.D. in Sociology fromCornell in 2000. He then taught at Louisiana StateUniversity(LSU) for three years before joining UNC Charlotte in 2003.As a sociologist, Yang Cao isprimarilyinterestedinunderstandinghowChina’sinstitutionalchangeinthepost-1978eraimpacts its economy and society. His research focuses on social inequality, employmentrelations,andchangingvalues incontemporaryChina.Hisprojectshavereceivedsupportfromseveral institutionsincludingtheNationalScienceFoundation,EastWestCenter,andSociety for Human Resource Management Foundation. He has published a number ofarticles in leading sociology journals andalso in journals in economics,management, andareastudies.HeonceservedasConsultingEditorforAmericanJournalofSociologyandiscurrently Associate Editor for Social Science Research. Yang Cao has been affiliated withseveralChineseuniversities. In2013hetooka leavefromUNCCharlotte fora three-yearfulltimefacultyappointmentatZhejiangUniversity(ZJU)inHangzhou,China.Whilethere,hewashighly instrumental in thedevelopmentof ZJU’s sociologyprogram.He servedasDirector of the Sociological Research Institute, Chair of theDepartmentof Sociology, andAcademic Committee Member for ZJU’s Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities andSocialSciences.

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Dr. Shi CHEN is an assistant professor of Health Informatics in the Department of PublicHealthSciences,CollegeofHealth&HumanServices,UNCCharlotte.Heacquiredhisdual-programPh.D.degreeofentomologyandoperationsresearchfromPennStateUniversityin2006,andworkedasapostdoc researcheratUniversityofTennesseeandNorthCarolinaState University prior to joining UNC Charlotte. His research interests include usingadvanced computational andmathematical techniques to understand various biologicallyand epidemiologically relevant problems. He has published more than 15 peer-reviewedjournalarticles.Currently,heisworkingontwoprojectswithChinesecolleagues:onewithcolleagues in the Academy of Sciences, investigating the potential interaction betweenenvironmental factors and socio-economic factors on Inner Mongolia’s grassland animalhusbandry;theotherwithcolleaguesatNanjingMedicalUniversityandCenterforDiseaseControlof JiangsuProvinceon thepotential factors that influenceoccupationalhealth forworkersinChinaaswellastheepidemiologyofakidneydisease(ADPKD)inChinainordertoidentifyearlywarningsignalsforit. Dr.MarenEHLERS isanAssistantProfessorofHistoryatUNCCharlotte.ShereceivedherPh.D. in East Asian Studies from Princeton University in 2011, and an M.A. in JapaneseStudiesfromtheUniversityofHamburginGermany.Hermainresearchinterestisthesocialhistory of earlymodern Japan. Her first book, amicrohistory of domain government andpoor relief in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Japan, is due to be publishedwith theHarvard Asia Center.Other publications include “Benevolence, Charity, andDuty: FamineRelief andDomain SocietyDuring the Tenmei Famine” inMonumenftaNipponica (2014);“Charity Reconstructed: The Transformation of Social Welfare in Rural Japan in theNineteenth Century” in Charities in the Non-Western World: The Development andRegulation of Indigenous and Islamic Charities, ed. Rajeswary Ampalavanar Brown andJustinPierce(Routledge,2013);“ExecutingDuty:ŌnoDomainandtheEmploymentofHininintheBakumatsuPeriod”inEarlyModernJapan:AnInterdisciplinaryJournal(2010);aswellasseveralpublicationsinJapaneseandGerman.ShehaspresentedherresearchinChinaonseveraloccasions,most recentlyatconferencesofurbanhistoryatShanghaiUniversity in2014and2015co-organizedwiththeShanghaiAcademyofSocialSciences.ShealsoteachesChinesehistoryatUNCCharlotteaspartofherHistoryofModernAsiasurveycourse. Dr.MinJIANGisanassociateprofessorofCommunicationStudiesatUNCCharlotteandanAffiliate Researcher at the Center for Global Communication Studies, University ofPennsylvania. She is a Secretariat member of the Chinese Internet Research Conference(CIRC),aninternationalconferencefocusedontheChineseInternetanditssocial,politicaland cultural consequences. Her research focuses on Chinese Internet technologies andpolicies. She has published over 20 journal articles and book chapters. Her research hasappeared in Journal of Communication, New Media & Society, Social Science ComputerReview, Policy& Internet, and Electronic Journal of Communication among others. She iscurrentlywritingabookabouttheChineseInternet,co-editingthreespecial journal issuesandabookvolumefocusedonChinesenewmedia.Arecipientofovertwodozenresearchgrants, she has received funding from and presented her work at various institutionsincluding Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Oxford University, Harvard University,Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and FrenchInstitute of International Relations (IFRI). She has worked with researchers at variousChinese universities including Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University,

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Peking University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Xiamen University,ChineseUniversityofHongKongandUniversityofHongKong.Priortopursingherdoctor’sdegreeintheU.S.,sheworkedatChinaCentralTelevisionandKillBillIinhernativecountryChina.Dr. Jiang receivedherBachelor’sandMaster’sdegrees inEnglishand InternationalStudies from Beijing Foreign Studies University and her Ph.D. in Communication fromPurdueUniversity. Dr. ShawnLONG isAssociateDean forAcademicAffairs in theCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciencesatUNCCharlotteCharlotte.HeservedasDepartmentChair(July2010-July2015)oftheDepartmentofCommunicationStudiesandDirectoroftheCommunicationGraduateProgram(2007-2010)atUNCCharlotte.Dr.Long isaFullProfessorofCommunication.HealsoholdsanappointmentasFullProfessorinOrganizationalScience.HereceivedaMasterofPublicAdministrationatTennesseeStateUniversityandhisPhD fromtheUniversityofKentucky. His teaching and research interests include organizational communication,organizational dialogue, virtual work, diversity communication, virtual-team assimilationandsocialization,healthcommunicationandqualitativemethodsassociatedwiththestudyoforganizationalcultureandsymbolism.Alongwithnumerouspeer-reviewedpublications,Dr. Long has also published three books: Communication, Relationships, and Practices inVirtualWork(2010),VirtualWorkandHumanInteractionResearch(2013),andContextsoftheDarkSideofCommunication(2016). Dr. Scott KISSAU is an Associate Professor, Director of the Master of Arts in TeachingForeignLanguagesprogram,andChairof theDepartmentofMiddle,Secondary,andK-12Education.Dr.KissauwastherecipientoftheCollegeofEducationAwardforExcellenceinTeaching. In2015,hewastheForeignLanguageTeacherof theYear inthestateofNorthCarolina,andin2016,wastherecipientofanationalaward,theprestigiousAnthonyPapaliaAward for Excellence in Teacher Education. Dr. Kissau is a regular presenter at theconferenceoftheForeignLanguageAssociationofNorthCarolina.In2013,hissessionwasvoted as the “Best of FLANC”. Dr. Kissau has authored more than 30 articles that haveappeared in top-tier journals, andhas sharedhis research findingsat conferencesaroundtheworld.In2012,hewastherecipientoftheCollegeofEducationAwardforExcellenceinResearch.Dr.KissaucurrentlyservesasaSiteVisitorfortheCouncilfortheAccreditationofEducatorPreparation(CAEP),andaLeadProgramReviewerfortheAmericanCouncilontheTeachingofForeignLanguages(ACTFL).HehasalsoservedastheTreasureroftheForeignLanguageAssociationofNorthCarolina. Dr. Zhongjie LIN is an Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanism and Director ofMasterofUrbanDesignprogramatUNCCharlotte.He isalsoaco-founderofFuturepolis,anaward-winningcross-disciplinarydesignpractice.HereceivedaPh.D.fromtheUniversityof Pennsylvania and aMaster of Architecture fromTongjiUniversity.He has held severalprestigious research positions including a 2013 Guggenheim Fellowship and a 2012Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. He is the author of Kenzo Tange and the MetabolistMovement (2010) and TheMaking of a ChineseModel New Town (2012) among severalother books on architecture and urbanism in Asia. At UNC Charlotte, he spearheads theSchool of Architecture's China Program. He has led five summer study trips to China,facilitatedthecollaborationsofUNCCwithseveralChineseinstitutions.Amongthem,TongjiUniversityandSuzhouUniversityofScienceandTechnologyhavesignedMOUswithUNCC,

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and have partnered in various academic collaborations including continuing faculty andstudentexchangesandaDouble-Master-DegreeprogrambetweenUNCCandTongji. Dr. Christina SANCHEZ has worked as a full-time professional in Student and AcademicAffairsforthepast20years.In2011shejoinedtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatCharlotteintheroleofAssociateDirectorfortheOfficeofInternationalPrograms.Inadditiontoherdeputy responsibilities for theoffice’soperations,herwork focuseson strengtheningandexpandingtheinternationalizationofcampusthroughtheestablishmentofseminarcourses,residential-basedlearning,andotherstudent-centeredengagementopportunities.ChristinareceivedherdoctorateinInterculturalCommunicationattheUniversityofNewMexico,hermaster’s degree is in College Student Personnel Administration from James MadisonUniversity, and her Bachelors’ of Psychology and English Literature from the College ofWilliam and Mary. She has taught courses in communication, sociology, business, andeducation.Over thepast fewyears,herworkandpersonal interestshaveenabledher totravel to34differentcountries.Shehas lived in JapanandSpainaswellasseveralplacesthroughout the United States. On two occasions, Christina received grants with the U.S.Administrators in International Education Fulbright Program inGermany (2006) and India(2014). Dr.YuWANG isaProfessorofComputerScienceatUNCCharlotte.HeholdsaPh.D.fromIllinois Institute of Technology, an MEng and a BEng from Tsinghua University, all inComputerScience.Hisresearchinterestincludeswirelessnetworks,mobilesocialnetworks,smartsensingandmobilecomputing.HisresearchhasbeencontinuouslysupportedbytheUS National Science Foundation. He has published over 150 papers in peer reviewedjournals and conferences, with four best paper awards. He has served as general chair,programchair,programcommitteemember,etc.formanyinternationalconferences(suchas IEEE IPCCC, IEEE INFOCOM, ACM MobiHoc and IEEE ICDCS). He has also served asEditorial Board Member of several international journals, including IEEE Transactions onParallel and Distributed Systems. He is a recipient of Ralph E. Powe Junior FacultyEnhancement Awards from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (2006) and OutstandingFacultyResearchAwardfromCollegeofComputingandInformaticsatUNCCharlotte(2008).Dr.WanghasextensivelycollaboratedwithresearchersinChinaandhostedthirteenvisitingscholars from China at his lab since 2007. He has also hold visiting positions in severalChineseuniversities, suchasTsinghuaUniversity,Universityof ScienceandTechnologyofChina,andOceanUniversityofChina.In2014,hewasawardedtheOverseasYoungScholarsCooperationResearchFundfromtheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina. DR. Jian ZHANG is Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNCCharlotte.HeisalsothePresidentofChineseAmericanAssociationofCharlotte.Zhanghastwenty years of leadership experience in nonprofit organizations. He served as presidentandboardchairmanofCarolinasAsianAmericanChamberofCommerceandsteppeddownas the board chair between 2008 and 2012. Dr. Zhang also served as president of JohnsHopkins Medical Institution Chinese Student and Scholar Association, board member ofAmericanRedCrossGreatCarolinasChapterandNorthCarolinaChinaCouncil.Dr.ZhangiscurrentactiveboarddirectorofCarolinasAsianAmericanChamberofCommerce,CharlotteInternationalCabinetandChineseAmericanAssociationofCharlotte.HeiscurrentservingastheboardchairofChineseAmericanAssociationofCharlotte.Asscholar,Dr.Zhanghas

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published over 50 articles in national and international journals and made over 100presentations at national and international meetings in the area of regulation of livermicrocirculation and chronic liver diseases. He has generated over $4million of researchfunding.Dr.ZhangwasborninSichuan,China.HereceivedhisB.S.insportsmedicinefromChengduCollegeofPhysicalEducationandMAinsportsmedicinefromSpringfieldCollege,Springfield,MA.HereceivedhisPh.D.inbiomedicalsciencesfromUSCSchoolofMedicine,Columbia,SCandpostdoctoraltraininginJohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofMedicine. Dr. Yong ZHANGis Bissell Distinguished Professor with Department of Electrical andComputerEngineering,AdjunctProfessorwithDepartmentofPhysicsandOpticalScience,atUNCCharlotte.HereceivedhisPhDinPhysicsfromDartmouthCollegein1994,MSandBS inPhysics fromXiamenUniversity in1985and1982.HewaswithNationalRenewableEnergy Laboratory (NREL) from 1994 to 2009, initially as a postdoc then Senior Scientistbefore he joined UNC Charlotte in the current position. He has over 200 publications,includingmorethan160inpeerreviewedjournals,withanHindexof34(GoogleScholar).HeisGuestProfessorwithInstituteofSemiconductors,ChineseAcademyofSciences;GuestProfessor, School of Physics and Engineering, Xiamen University; Oversee ReviewCommittee Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was “Chaires d'excellence”,NanosciencesFoundation (France),2009-2012;MemberofTechnicalAdvisoryCommittee,StateKeyLaboratoryofPhotovoltaicScienceandTechnology,China,2010–2014. Dr.KexinZHAO isanAssociateProfessorofManagementInformationSystemsintheBelkCollegeofBusinessatUNCCharlotte.ShereceivedherPh.D.degreefromtheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign,andherBachelordegreeinManagementInformationSystemsfromTsinghuaUniversity.Herresearchinterestsincludeeconomicsofinformationsystems,e-business standardization, and electronic commerce. Her papers have been published injournals such as Decision Support Systems, Electronic Markets, Industrial and CorporateChange, IEEETransactionsonEngineeringManagement, InternationalJournalofElectronicCommerce,andJournalofManagementInformationSystems. Dr. Wei ZHAO is Associate Professor of Sociology and of Organizational Science at UNCCharlotte. His research focuses on social inequality, organizational sociology, economicsociology, and China studies.His recent research projects investigate social inequality inmultipledimensions,suchasincomedisparity,housinginequality,andsubjectivewell-being,duringChina’smarkettransition.Hehasalsoexaminednetworkpatterns,corporatesocialresponsibility, and human resources management practices through China’s markettransitionandglobalizationprocesses.Hispublicationshaveappearedinprominentjournalsin sociology and management, such as American Sociological Review, Annual Review ofSociology, Social Science Research, and Organization Science. His publications have alsoshown in those specialty journals focusing on China, such as Management andOrganizational Review, Chinese Sociological Review, and Sociological Studies (shehuixueyanjiu).