Visiting Yale University President Richard C. Levin said Wednesday that his China tour has been one of the most wonderful experiences of his life.

Levin and his delegation visited Beijing during May 6-9 and left for Changsha Wednesday after meeting students and faculty at Peking and Tsinghua universities.

He delivered speeches on university globalization and the role universities play in economic development at the two prestigious schools. Members of his delegation also talked with scholars of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The group was scheduled to travel to Changsha, Shanghai and Ningbo.

The tour is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Yale-China Association.

Levin was especially excited to see the railway originally designed by Zhan Tianyou, one of the first Chinese graduates of Yale University.

"The former president of Peking University, Ma Yinchu, graduated from Yale and today a number of Yale alumni are active in stages of business, education and politics here in China," Levin said proudly.

Levin attributed the success of the outstanding Chinese Yale graduates to the quality higher education in China. "As I have seen in Beida and Qinghua, the two elite universities boast advanced facilities, excellent achievement and good traditions," he said, adding that the students he met were smart, creative and inquisitive.

During the past century, Yale University has maintained a constant exchange with China. Levin said the sound relationship played a unique role in the cultural communications between the two countries.

As a university community of international talent, Yale values Chinese scholars and students, he said.

Chinese scholars have unique culture and insight which Yale staff and students can learn from, and the outstanding performance of Chinese students has proved their potential.

Strong in the humanities, Yale University has one of the world's best Chinese studies programs, with a comprehensive course offering of Chinese literature, history, politics and art. The newly established China Law Center adds to the strength of the program.

"Connection with China is among Yale's first international contacts, and it is still in a strategic position when Yale steps into its fourth century."

The tercentennial celebration of Yale University will come in October. Under the globalization there for its fourth century, Yale will further effort to support the study of China.

"I hope to see an even more prosperous future of the development of China disciplines in Yale," Levin said.

(People's Daily 05/11/2001)