CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1469 HUAI HAI ZHONG LU
SHANGHAI 20003
March 30, 2012
Dear Governor Christie:
I am writing to say that Kean University made New Jersey proud last week when we broke ground for the new campus of Wenzhou-Kean University in Zhejiang province. Zhejiang is part of our consular district and I was privileged to join Board Chair Ada Morrell and President Dawood Farahi in the ceremonies, which, even by Chinese standards, were quite spectacular!
This kind of cooperation is just the sort of thing we are promoting here in East China. U.S. education is in high demand among Chinese students and will promote greater understanding and cooperation between the United States and China, benefiting both countries. Projects like this will bring our education system and value within reach of many more Chinese students than could ever afford to travel to the United States, and students from the United States will gain valuable exposure to a country that will become more prominent, and important to our economy, as the years go by.
Projects like these do not come about easily. Kean joins the ranks of Duke University and New York University who are developing campuses of comparable magnitude here. I know that President Farahi and his team have been building relationships in Wenzhou for years, and the presence at the ceremony of both provincial and national leaders was clear evidence that the Chinese side is committed to making this a success.
The project is off to a great start. I am in touch with Philip Connelly, Kean’s VP for Operations, who is on the ground in Wenzhou, and we will provide whatever help we can as the campus moves toward its opening in 2013.
Best Wishes,
