Dear Colleagues:

The second installment of our seminar series, 'The Research University in the World of the Future,' will be May 31 at 4 p.m. and will feature Zhejiang University President Wei Yang. Zhejiang University in Hangzhou is one of China's leading research universities.

Pres. Yang is trained as a mechanical engineer. He received his undergraduate degree at Northwestern Polytechnic University, an MS from Tsinghua University and his Ph.D. from Brown University. Pres. Yang returned to Tsinghua University where he became the youngest full professor in 1989. After serving in leadership roles both at Tsinghua and in the government, he became president of Zhejiang University in 2006. Recently he has served as Chair of both the Union of Research Universities in China and of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities.

'The Research University in the World of the Future' series is designed to give the campus community a multifaceted look at how higher education is changing to address society's changing needs. As we envision our campus 20 to 50 years from now, we are exploring how to best position the university for continued relevance and impact.

Pres. Yang will deliver his public message from 4-5 p.m. in the auditorium of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, 405 North Mathews Ave., Urbana. I hope you can attend, and I invite you to stay for a reception following Pres. Yang's speech. I also invite you to participate in the visioning process by taking the survey at www.go.illinois.edu/visioningsurvey. Watch for more speakers in the series this fall.

Thank you for the work you do every day to further our mission of learning, discovery and engagement. Have a wonderful summer.

Sincerely,
Phyllis M. Wise
Vice President, University of Illinois
Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign