From January 17th to 24th, the University Vice-President Chen Xiaolong led Tongji delegation to the US. They visited University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB), University of Colorado-Denver (UCD), and University of Hawaii (UH) successively.

   At UIUC, Dr. Richard Wheeler, Vice-President, and Dr. Wolfgang Schl鰎, Associate Provost of UIUC met with Tongji delegates and signed Memorandum of Cooperation between the two universities. Later, professors in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering held group talks with the hosts. The two parties spoke highly of the joint designs of architecture majors from the two universities in the past 23 years, and intended to develop a dual-degree program. They also discussed the cooperation in training English teachers and reached an agreement on scientific collaborations in building aseismicity, environmental science.

    At UCB, a seminar about 搉ew energy and sustainable development?was held. The two parties made further discussion on some research fields. After the meeting, Chen Xiaolong signed a memorandum for cooperation in new energy and sustainable development on behalf of Tongji University.

    At UCD, the two parties confirmed some details of landscape science dual-degree program, which would be opened in 2010. Members of Tongji delegation launched discussion with professors from UCD Engineering College about sustainable energy and carbon emissions. Chen Xiaolong also visited the new campus of UCD Medical School and then discussed the possibility of developing scientific cooperation as well as exchanging doctoral candidates in the field of life science.

    While in Denver, Chen Xiaolong introduced Tongji抯 experiences and achievements in building green campus in an interview with reporters from Nature.

    At UH, the two parties made in-depth discussion about developing doctoral dual-degree program in architecture and exchanged ideas on student exchange and scientific cooperation in the fields of civil engineering, environmental science, energy science and transportation engineering. UH was playing an active part in low carbon island program and 2011 Solar Decathlon. Based on these similarities, the two sides agreed to develop cooperation and communication in these two fields.