UCI joins cultural exchange program with university students in Beijing

UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake will travel Friday to Beijing, China, where he will be the American keynote speaker at the 2007 Silk Road to the Future Olympic banner presentation July 27. Designated as an Ambassador of Peace by the Legends of China Foundation, Drake will embark on the week-long journey to strengthen and promote university ties with the region.

"It is with great pride that I accept the foundation's gracious invitation to speak at this monumental event," Drake said. "Creating opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding among students and educators in our two nations is essential to our university's mission."

The Silk Road to the Future presentation has been held annually since 2001 in preparation for Beijing's first Olympic Games in 2008. Each year, students from the United States and China create works of silk art representing world peace. The works are sewn together and added to a banner depicting China's Silk Road. The completed banner will be carried by American and Chinese university students during the games' opening ceremony.

While in Beijing, Drake will meet with influential leaders in education and government, including Zhang Xinsheng, China's vice minister of education, and Clark T. Randt Jr., U.S. ambassador to China. He also will meet with delegates from leading teaching institutions, including Tianjin Medical University, Peking University Health Science Center and Xi'an Jiaotong University.

The 2007 Silk Road to the Future is created and sponsored by Legends of China, a non-governmental organization aimed at bridging the cultural divides between China and the U.S. Hundreds of faculty, staff and students from throughout the UC system have participated in the program since its inception.

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