UNT increases international connections with Beijing university partnership

Thursday, April 27, 2017 - 14:06
UNT President Neal Smatresk, third from right, and College of Information Dean Kinshuk, second from left, attended the U.S.-China Smart Learning Conference in Beijing, China last month. While there, Smatresk signed an agreement continuing UNT’s partnership with Beijing Normal University.
UNT President Neal Smatresk, third from right, and College of Information Dean Kinshuk, second from left, attended the U.S.-China Smart Learning Conference in Beijing, China last month. While there, Smatresk signed an agreement continuing UNT’s partnership with Beijing Normal University.

The continued collaboration between the University of North Texas and Beijing Normal University will result in a joint lab that will focus on smart learning technologies.

UNT President Neal Smatresk and BNU President Dong Qi signed an agreement continuing a multiple-year partnership between the two schools, while attending the U.S.-China Smart Learning Conference in Beijing, China, last month with College of Information Dean Kinshuk.

“Partnerships like this one will move UNT towards global leadership in education innovation,” said Smatresk. “This continued relationship will promote collaborative academic and research activities, which are core to our mission.”

Kinshuk will coordinate the development of activities with Beijing Normal University.

“I am very excited by the Memorandum of Agreement that has been signed with Beijing Normal University,” said Kinshuk. “It establishes a joint research and development lab, namely intelligent Computing for All Learning (iCal), which will provide us with an excellent opportunity to explore various smart learning technologies and intelligent learning environments to enhance our students’ learning experience and to achieve state-of-the-art operations in our educational efforts.”

In addition to the iCal lab, the Memorandum of Agreement also calls for the two universities to jointly supervise graduate students working in iCAL as well as co-chair their dissertation committees; host visiting faculty and graduate students through iCAL; conduct collaborative research; and co-author presentations and publications on findings developed through the new lab.

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