UW–Milwaukee officials and CERNET Education executives pose for a picture at the recruiting agreement signing ceremony on Dec 6. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UMW) will enroll hundreds of Chinese students in the next few years through a recruiting agreement UWM Chancellor Michael Lovell signed with CERNET Education Group (CERNET Education), a subsidiary of the China Education and Research Network in Beijing on December 6.

Joining Lovell on the China trip was Jim Doyle, former governor of the State of Wisconsin, Tom Barret, mayor of the City of Milwaukee, as well as the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce delegation who claimed they wished to expand the city's ties with China. Officials from the US embassy and the Ministry of Education of China, education experts from Beijing, were also present at the signing ceremony.

As a part of the agreement, CERNET Education and UWM would work together in the recruitment of Chinese students. CERNET Education will also establish a Wisconsin International Academy (WIA) in Milwaukee to provide intensive English programs, designed by UWM, as well as support services for new Chinese students. Students with limited English proficiency have the option of receiving dual enrollment from UWM and WIA. They can begin their degree program in UWM as long as their language skills are proficient enough to qualify for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs.

Credit courses of UWM are also open to conditionally admitted students, enabling them to enter the university with college credits. In addition, the WIA can also help Chinese students integrate into American society through American culture courses developed, independently, by WIA.

This is not the first time CERNET Education has allied itself with an American university. Another partnership is with the University of Massachusetts, which has been in action for several years. CERNET Education has helped with recruiting students for the university; they have also established a program at the university called the Massachusetts International Academy.

CERNET Education will begin setting up WIA, at the latest, in 2013. Milwaukee officials say the agreement would boost not only the university's international profile, but also the economic development in Milwaukee; the construction of many public facilities, including the school buildings, the medical centre and the gymnasium, will fuel the economic growth to some extent and provide dozens of job opportunities to the local areas. It also would bring millions of dollars to UWM over the next several years from international student tuition.