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For Immediate ReleaseMU Confucius Institute Focuses on Sustainable DevelopmentOctober 12, 2011
Story contact: Elizabeth Miller, MillerEliz@missouri.edu, 573-882-3086
International Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Vice Provost for International ProgramsCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Recently the Confucius Institute at the University of Missouri hosted an environmental meeting with key Chinese business and educational leaders aimed at facilitating broader environmental discussions on China’s sustainable development. The forum, chaired by Dr. Handy Williamson, Vice Provost for International Programs, and Dr. Wen Ouyang, Co-Director of the Confucius Institute, focused specifically on new practices and possibilities for reducing global carbon emissions in agriculture. Dr. Ouyang offered valuable insights into the emerging environmental cooperation and environmental challenges for the U.S. and China in the years to come. She pointed out that China makes up 22% of the world’s population, but has limited natural resources. This economic reality forces China not only to harvest resources from outside of China’s borders, but makes China a particularly important partner for sustainable development.MU’s Confucius Institute, which strives to promote greater understanding between Missouri and China through business and educational development activities, is 1 of 83 Confucius Institutes in the United States and 323 in the world. The first institute was opened at the University of Maryland in 2004.