Clemson University is recruiting doctoral engineering talent from China through an exchange program with Tongji University, according to a news release from the institution.
The exchange program will allow civil engineering doctoral students from each school to study at the other. Students who spend two years abroad will be eligible for a dual degree from both universities, but students not seeking a degree can travel and do research for as little as one to two months at a time.
“The partnership is an important part of increasing the college’s and the department’s global impact and visibility,” said Clemson’s Glenn Department of Civil Engineering Chair Dr. James Martin.
Tongji University is ranked No. 1 in civil engineering by China’s Ministry of Education, and registers 18,581 full-time undergraduate students, 13,762 graduate students and 4,279 Ph.D candidates.
The Tongji College of Civil Engineering has about 500 Ph.D. students, two of which are expected to begin at Clemson next school year, according to Clemson representatives.
“The agreement enables students from both sides to achieve dual enrollment and a degree in a seamless fashion,” said Clemson’s Academic Affairs Executive Vice President and Provost Robert Jones in a statement. “The exchange program will expose students to cultures and work practices from the world’s two largest economies and position them for strength into the future.
“There will be tremendous engagement opportunities for our partners – state, industry and communities.”
The agreement – which lasts until June 2020 with an option to renew – will allow faculty to collaborate through students on some of the toughest engineering challenges, said Tongji University College of Civil Engineering Vice Dean Hongwei Huang.
“Both institutions have the opportunity to increase the number of Ph.D. graduates and promote high quality research through collaboration,” he said in a statement.
