The Ming Chuan University (MCU) Michigan campus welcomed in Spring Break by hosting its Diamond Jubilee Celebration, which honored the 60th anniversary of the university’s founding outside the Ott Auditorium in Gilbertson Hall on March 2.
“This event is considered historically important, as the 60th birthday symbolizes both the completion of one full cycle of life and the beginning of a new life cycle,” said MCU Associate Program Director Carine Chinling Yang. “In the Chinese calendar, there are 12 zodiac signs and five natural elements, which results in a 60-year cycle. Following one’s 60th birthday, the person begins a new life. This grand celebration of MCU reminds us how far we have come in the past 60 years and how far we have to go in the next cycle.”
The highlights of the event included a video of MCU President Chuan Lee offering the opening remarks as MCU unveiled a 66-pound commemorative plaque in celebration of the university. Five identical commemorative plaques depicting the history of Ming Chuan were designed as well. Those plaques will be on display in all five MCU locations, one being SVSU.
Following the video and plaque unveiling, Vice President for International Affairs at MCU Robert Yien gave welcoming remarks.
“It was a very significant event to both MCU and SVSU, as this was also the 10th year of close collaboration between two fine universities across the Pacific Ocean, 12 time zones apart,” Yien said.
Additionally, SVSU President Donald Bachand expressed his appreciation for the longstanding friendship between the two universities.
“(Bachand) also mentioned that he is looking forward to attending the three-day celebration of MCU’s 60th anniversary at the end of March,” Yang said.
SVSU Board of Control Chair Jenee Velasquez and Provost Deb Huntley, among other influential members of the SVSU community, also attended the reception, along with about 50 other faculty, staff and students.
“The ceremony went beautifully well,” Yang said. “Our guests were delighted and surprised to receive the video message from President Lee. We enjoyed having birthday blessings and signatures from our guests on the anniversary back drop. Our event coordinator Heather O’Hearn and (Information Technology Services staff) were wonderful and helpful.”
“Personally, the event was very rewarding experience for me,” said Yien, who served at SVSU for 36 years and at MCU for the last 10.
SVSU has partnered with MCU to offer a Master of Art in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language program. The program allows Chinese/English bilingual graduate students to prepare to teach Chinese to adult English speakers for a variety of academic and business settings.
