(By Correspondent Mei Tianqi) On September 23, the orientation ceremony for the Class of 2025 of the Frostburg Institute of Carbon Economy and Data Science, Hubei University of Economics (hereafter abbreviated as HFICEDS) was held. Attendees included President Fang Jie of Hubei University of Economics, Liang Wei, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Hubei Provincial Department of Education, Dr. Alan Walker, Vice President of Frostburg State University, USA, and Dr. Sudhir Singh, Dean of the College of Business, Engineering, Computational and Data Sciences. Vice President He Huigang presided over the ceremony.
He Huigang noted that the establishment of HFICEDS embodies the wisdom and aspirations of both China and the United States, aiming to build a growth platform for students that integrates cross-cultural engagement, an international perspective, and high-quality teaching.
Liang Wei stated that cultivating composite international talent with the wisdom of a major nation, a global vision, and a sense of global responsibility in the fields of dual-carbon and big data technology application is an important achievement of Hubei Province in deepening the comprehensive reform of higher education and advancing high-level opening up. It is a concrete measure to promote Sino-US educational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and a forward-looking arrangement to support the development of new quality productive forces in Hubei Province, serve the national carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy, and meet major needs such as the high-quality development of the digital economy.
Fang Jie pointed out that the formal approval of HFICEDS marks a milestone in the university's efforts to promote international exchange and cooperation, transitioning from isolated points to broader engagement, from superficial to in-depth collaboration, and from passive connection to active integration. It is also a strategic action with the American partner university to fulfill the mission of global sustainable development education and jointly shape a talent cultivation system at the forefront of carbon neutrality. Fang Jie encouraged the students, saying, You are not only witnesses to the history of HFICEDS but also its pioneers. What you leave behind will be not just stories, but the enduring spirit that every future class of students will inherit.
Dr. Darlene Smith, President of Frostburg State University, delivered a speech via video link, expressing great importance and steadfast support for the outcomes of the cooperative education program between the two universities and looking forward to the new students gaining wisdom and growth through cross-cultural learning.
Dr. Alan Gerard Walker addressed the ceremony in person, introducing the high-quality educational resources and academic philosophy of Frostburg State University. He stated that he would fully ensure the teaching quality of the cooperative program and work with Hubei University of Economics to cultivate composite talent with international competitiveness.
Faculty representative Cheng Si, a teacher from the Resource and Environmental Economics program, and student representative Wang Xiangjun from Class 2541 of the Resource and Environmental Cooperation program also spoke. Guests from both the Chinese and American sides presented school badges of Hubei University of Economics and Frostburg State University to the student representatives, and all new students stood to put on their badges. Following the ceremony, HFICEDS held a special presentation on its talent cultivation plan.
Heads of relevant functional departments and schools, all members of the HFICEDS leadership, faculty representatives, and the entire Class of 2025 attended the event.
It is reported that HFICEDS is launching its first two undergraduate programs this year: Resource and Environmental Economics and Data Science and Big Data Technology. The programs will implement a 4+0 dual-registration and dual-degree cultivation model.