Provost Hecker speaks with Press Herald about R&D partnerships in China
Jeffrey Hecker, the University of Maine’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, spoke with the Portland Press Herald for the article, “Maine trade delegation sets sights on China’s vast middle class.” China’s middle class — and its increasing ranks of wealthy investors — are drawing interest from Maine businesses and government officials, several of which will be leaving Saturday on a trade mission to China and Japan, according to the article. UMaine, which has 107 students from China, will be sending representatives on the mission, the article states. Hecker said although student recruitment will be on the agenda, UMaine also will be looking to strengthen existing research-and-development partnerships with educational institutions, as well as create new ones. He said UMaine officials will meet with representatives of Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology to explore opportunities for collaboration, and with representatives of Shanghai Ocean University, with which UMaine already has a partnership, the article states. “It’s a long way to go, so we’re trying to kill as many birds with one stone as we can,” he said.