ECU welcomes visitors from China, Japan

(June 18, 2004)   —   Two international groups will be in Greenville Monday and Tuesday to meet with representatives from East Carolina University about expanding ventures, including robotic surgery and an art school.

The visitors, with two separate agendas, happen to be in town on the same day and include delegates from Fudan University in China and representatives from the South Korea business development organization, Asian Venture Partners.

The latter organization is charged with establishing relationships with international universities to promote academic and business opportunities in South Korea and abroad.

Among the 20 Korean delegates is Director General Choi of the Ministry of Information and Communications. Choi is in charge of policies and government support for corporate cross regional collaboration.

Chancellor Steve Ballard will present welcoming remarks to the Korean group at the Pitt County Development Commission meeting, 7 p.m., Monday at the Greenville Hilton.

After discussion with ECU officials, the Korean visitors hope to establish an ECU branch in Korea by 2007 that will include an art school and a medical school. The representatives hope to establish hospitals and research centers — distance medicine research center, telemedicine research center, and robotic distance service equipment manufacturing center — by 2005.

The 10-member Chinese delegation is visiting ECU as part of a multi-campus tour of the nation to explore the operations of hospitals and medical schools. Topics include administrative structure, organization of facilities, financial management, integration of teaching within the hospital and crisis management. Other stops for the Fudan University delegates include Duke University, Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University.