ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan, which has witnessed many new opportunities for developing relationships with China since U-M President Mary Sue Coleman led a delegation there in June 2005, has appointed a new coordinator of U-M China initiatives.

Zhen” Jen” Zhu joins the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs. She will serve as a resource for all U-M units interested in developing academic programs in China.

Zhu will help identify partner institutions in China, work with schools and colleges to develop programs, assist in setting program goals and strategies, and work with a faculty steering committee to identify and develop University-wide opportunities in China.

Several U-M units have been exploring the possibility of partnerships with their counterparts in China while others are expanding or improving existing relationships.

Zhu is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history of art. She has also studied at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and received her Master of Arts degree in Chinese Studies at U-M.

Zhu has worked at the U-M International Center and as a research assistant in U-M’s Department of Sociology. In addition, she taught English at Peking University and worked at the Roger Baldwin Foundation in Chicago.

One of her first tasks will be to do an inventory of academic programs already in place with Chinese universities.

The U-M International Institute is dedicated to research, education, and service in international and area studies. The Institute sets priorities and creates opportunities for supporting faculty, student, and public engagement with a diverse and inter-connected world. It promotes education in the world’s languages, societies, and environments and organizes public programs on international issues. It supports collaborative projects with partners around the globe and helps recruit international faculty, visiting scholars, and students.

International Institute