A group of college administrators from China visited Michigan State University in May 1999 to meet with MSU administrators in Human Resources, the Controller's Office, the Office of Planning and Budgets, and the Department of Police and Public Safety. Their visit was made possible by the Executive Workshop Program (EWP) of MSU's Visiting International Professional Program (VIPP), a support unit in the Office of International Studies and Programs.

Chinese colleges participating in the May workshop included North China University of Electrical Power, Fujian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Industrial University, the China People's University, Hebei University, Qinghua University, and the Beijing Normal University. This was the second EWP workshop that was specifically arranged through Yang Jiamin, a former administrator with the People's University in China, and MSU's VIPP.

Previous groups to visit MSU's campus through VIPP's Executive Workshop Program have included childhood educators from South Korea and pharmaceutical sales managers from China.

Currently, working with other departments, VIPP is exploring workshop opportunities in Mali, Ethiopia, and India.

In May 1999, a U.S. Information Agency/Institute of International Education delegation of senior officials from colleges and universities in ten countries—Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Egypt, Romania, Singapore, Thailand, and Tunisia—visited MSU to examine the American system of education, its structure, administration, and support services. Coordinated by International Studies and Programs, their schedule included presentations by various MSU officials and members of the English Language Center. Delegates had a brief home stay and met with MSU international students from their countries.

—Mike Miller and Charles Gliozzo

For more information about VIPP, visit its Web site at http://www.isp.msu.edu/VIPP.