University of Pittsburgh to partner Sichuan University to establish an engineering institute

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh is the latest U.S. institution to join with a Chinese University in establishing a joint program. Pitt is teaming with Sichuan University to establish an engineering institute called the Sichuan University Pittsburgh Institute.

Located in western China in Chengdu within Sichuan Province, the institute is set to launch in fall of 2014 with an estimated 100 students. The partnership includes Sichuan University investing roughly $40 million in construction and equipping a new 100,000 square foot building on its campus for the project. The institute is launching with undergraduate degree programs in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science and engineering.

Within seven years of launch, Pitt expects the institute will reach its maximum enrollment of 1,600 students. Institute students will take their first two years of courses at the China campus learning Pitt curriculum. They will have the option of transferring to Pitt’s Oakland campus in the third year and will be able to earn a bachelor’s degree from Pitt and Sichuan University.

“This extraordinary partnership marks a milestone in the history of the University of Pittsburgh, expanding the University’s influence as a force for educational and research innovation while allowing Pitt to benefit from an alliance with Sichuan University, one of China’s preeminent institutions of higher education,” said Chancellor Mark Nordenberg in a written statement.

“We at Pitt are fortunate to partner with such an esteemed university, are grateful for the strong commitment it has made to this joint endeavor, and look forward to what we expect will be an enduring and fruitful relationship between our two leading research universities.”

A handful of other U.S. universities — Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, New York University and University of Michigan — also have agreements with Chinese schools for programs.

“This partnership will enable our students to be much better prepared for practicing their profession globally,” said Gerald Holder, U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering and professor in Pitt’s Swanson School in a written statement.

“The large number of American companies that do work in China or sell products there will benefit from the intercultural education that the joint institute provides. And the American and Chinese students who participate in this program will be in great demand by employers. I hope the program will open many doors for future opportunities with Sichuan University.”