About Yanshan University
History of Yanshan University
Yanshan University (YSU) has its roots in the 1920-founded Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). The School of Heavy Machinery of HIT was established in 1958 when the Department of Heavy Machinery of HIT and its related specialties relocated to Fularji, Qiqihar, a strategic industrial town in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China.
The college became independent in 1960 under the name Northeast Heavy Machinery Institute, and in 1978 it received accreditation as an important national institution of higher education. It started moving southward to the seaside city of Qinhuangdao in 1985, and it finished the move in 1997 after receiving approval from the previous State Education Commission to use the name Yanshan University.
In 1998, Hebei Province Government took over its management from the Ministry of Machinery Industry (HPG). Both the federal government and the local government share administration of YSU, with the latter having primary responsibility. The Council on Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense and HPG collaborated on the construction of YSU in 2006. The National Defense Science and Industry Bureau and HPG co-constructed YSU in 2010. HPG, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Education collaborated on the construction of YSU in 2014.
History of Collaboration with UToledo
Early cooperation
Both known as the Glass City in China and the U.S., Qinhuangdao and Toledo became sister cities in 1985. This constructive engagement has led to the formal establishment of partnership between YSU and the UToledo, as the first comprehensive cooperation agreement was signed in 1986. Since then, a series of cooperation agreements ranging from various fields in the follow-up exchanges and cooperations are stated. In 1997, the second comprehensive cooperation agreement was signed, initiating the visiting communication, exchange students, and cooperation in educational activities. In 2005, two agreements were reached for a scholars' exchange project and branches establishment. It set a major milestone and solid foundation for further cooperation at a higher level and in a wider scope between YSU and UToledo. Furthermore, in May 2007, the Toledo College of YSU at The University of Toledo was founded. As the first approved pilot overseas institution under supervision of department of education of Hebei Province, Toledo College of YSU provides the non-degree education activities and marks the beginning of overseas education activities of YSU.
Joint establishment of Confucius Institute
Confucius Institute at The University of Toledo was successfully established through joint efforts and close cooperation by the two universities in 2008, and was officially inaugurated in December 2009. Confucius Institute was presented as an excellent platform to help inter-university collaboration and a milestone of the constructive cooperation between YSU and UToledo. In 14 years, 5 Chinese deans and more than 60 teachers and volunteers from YSU served at UToledo, continuously supporting the Confucius Institute at UToledo in expanding Chinese teaching and cultural promotion internationally. 30,000 students were enrolled in Chinese courses provided by the Confucius Institute, and various cultural activities reached more than 100,000 local people. Confucius Institute was committed to supporting the local Chinese teaching in Toledo as a bridge to promote Chinese culture and an administration to facilitate the cooperation and exchanges between the two universities as well as the sister cities.
Over the years of the cooperation between YSU and UToledo, the mutual communications of distinct levels are solid and profound. The leadership advances the collaboration by attending each other's important activities, such as council of Confucius Institute hosted by the two universities in turn annually. Other than that, more than 200 persons participated in the two-way exchange delegations. Moreover, Confucius Institute at UToledo organized three groups of educators, college students and high school students visiting China every year, with a total of more than 160 individuals since 2016.
In 2016, School of Humanities and Law at YSU and College of Law at UToledo signed the Memorandum of Cooperation Agreement, which became the first sub-agreement of the student exchange agreement, making important progress in international cooperation and exchange between YSU and UToledo. In June 2020, YSU and The University of Toledo signed the Cooperation Agreement of "1 +1 +1" for the degree of Master of Education. The program designated the humanities education effort between the two universities. In addition, the "Health Care Talents Training Program" proposed was continuously developed, training participants in the health care industry for the sister cities.
Cooperation in the new era
In October 2022, YSU and UToledo signed a new cooperation agreement to launch "UToledo Yanshan University College." This is another milestone of the in-depth cooperation between the two universities, achieving new heights of the collaboration between the two universities, creating an important breakthrough in the educational advanced practice between China and the United States.
Toledo College of YSU, as a pilot institution of YSU in the United States, is engaged in non-degree education activities and will continue to pave the way for fulfilling the partnership between YSU and UToledo. It is an institution to conduct teacher and student exchange, cultural exploration, facilitating other collaborations between the two universities, such as promoting dual master of education program and health care participants training program. Toledo College prompts the "go global" strategy of YSU, enhancing high-quality education resources and substantial international reputation of YSU overseas.
The 36-year well-established partnership between YSU and UToledo shapes history with impacts and legacy that cannot be measured. In the context of strengthening the collaboration, both universities aim for a prosperous future with productive achievements. We celebrate YSU-UToledo strategical bilateral cooperation, which has never been stronger.