March 27, 2000 Peking University delegates visit UCSC marine science programs By Tim Stephens A delegation of 19 senior administrators from Peking University in China visited UCSC last week as part of their tour of major U.S. universities. The delegation met with UCSC faculty and toured Long Marine Laboratory, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and Cowell College. Members of the Chinese delegation toured the Long Marine Lab. Photo: UCSC Photo Services The distinguished visitors, who had already spent several weeks at UC Berkeley, were interested in learning about UCSC's residential colleges, Education Abroad programs, graduate programs, and special research initiatives. They had a particular interest in UCSC's marine science programs. Peking University recently acquired 800 acres of land in the coastal city of Tsing Tao to build a major satellite campus. Tsing Tao is known throughout China for its world-class research in marine sciences, aquaculture, and oceanography. The Chinese National Academy's Institute of Oceanology is located there. With its high concentration of marine science institutes and researchers, Tsing Tao is comparable to U.S. centers of marine research such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Monterey Bay region, said Lynda Goff, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, who helped organize the visit. "Tsing Tao's natural seaside setting and existing excellence in ocean sciences and marine biology will be a tremendous asset to the new university," Goff said. "The delegation was particularly interested in the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and they were impressed with its role in teaching schoolchildren and connecting UCSC and its marine scientists with the surrounding community," she added. The delegation's tour of the Seymour Center was led by Lisa Borok, head of visitor programs for the center. The visit to Long Marine Lab also included a tour of the marine mammal pools, where resident dolphins Primo and Puka demonstrated their energetic contributions to research on dolphin physiology. "This was a fine day for both our institutions, and we hope that future partnerships between the new Tsing Tao campus and UCSC will provide increased educational and research opportunities for all of our students and faculty," Goff said. The Peking University delegation also plans to visit UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, and USC, as well as several East Coast universities. Return to Front Page