The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has enjoyed more than a century of engagement with the People’s Republic of China. Today, the Illinois office in Shanghai serves as an extension of that partnership, supporting alumni, students, faculty, and the campus in China.
This year, the Shanghai Office worked with the Illinois career services community to connect students and alumni with globally recognized companies in China. In support of this effort, the Shanghai Office co-organized annual career fairs together with other member representative offices of the American Universities’ China Association (AUCA). Summer and winter career fairs in Shanghai and Beijing connected nearly 2,000 student and alumni jobseekers to 190 companies, including multinational and prominent Chinese companies like Microsoft, IBM, Deloitte, EY, EF, PwC, KPMG, Apple, Bloomberg, Baidu, Tencent and more.
The Shanghai Office also hosted or contributed support to visits by numerous Illinois leaders and scholars in 2017-18. For example, the Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Vice Provost for International Affairs and Global Strategies, and others participated in 120th anniversary celebration activities for Zhejiang University, a Chinese partner institution to Illinois. Deans or faculty members from units in the College of Applied Health Sciences, iSchool, Gies College of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and others all took advantage of protocol assistance from the Shanghai Office during visits to China this past year.
Pre-Arrival Orientations
Illinois International, with support from its International Student and Scholar Services office and Shanghai Office, organizes Pre-Arrival Orientations in multiple cities in China each summer before the start of the academic year, assisting hundreds of new international students to prepare for academic success and positive experiences on the Urbana-Champaign campus. More than 1,000 students attended the Pre-Arrival Orientations this year.
Looking Ahead
As the University of Illinois continues to deepen its engagement with China, the Shanghai Office is working to enhance its services to campus units, students, alumni, and corporate and university partners in China, in support of the university’s strategic goals for global engagement.
