On the afternoon of September 24, 2014, President NING Bin met with the delegation from Amherst College in the U.S. led by President Ms. Carolyn A. “Biddy” Martin at Siyuan Building. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. Kevin Weinman, Chief Financial Officer of Amherst College, Ms. Erika Shelburne, Director of Office of International Donation, Wei Sun Christianson, CEO of Morgan Stanley, China & Member of Trustee Board of Amherst College and Ms. Gabriele L. Strauch, Associate Professor in Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies, University of Maryland.

President NING Bin pointed out Beijing Jiaotong University, as an engineering university featured by Traffic, Transportation and Information Technology, has made great contributions to the development of traffic & transportation, especially in the construction of China’s high-speed railways. In addition to cultivating engineering talents, the University attaches great importance to the disciplinary development of science and arts. As one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the United States, Amherst College boasts rich experience in the talents cultivation with equal emphasis on arts and science. NING hoped that the delegation’s visit would deepen cooperation between BJTU and Amherst College in terms of students and teachers exchanges.

Ms. Carolyn A. “Biddy” Martin expressed gratitude for the warm reception. She introduced the development planning, talents cultivation and students financial aid policy system of the University. As one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the United States, Amherst College focuses on undergraduate teaching programs and highlights the importance of teaching quality and cultivation of students’ critical thinking skills. She said 80% of the students in Amherst College chose to pursue advanced studies in world leading universities after graduation. Although no partnership has been built with Chinese university yet, Amherst College was eager to explore more cooperation oppotuties and build partnership with Chinese universities through this visit.

Principals from the Office of International Affairs, the Office of External Liaison and Cooperation, and School of Economics and Management were also present at the meeting.

During the visit, the delegation also visited the State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, and expressed appreciation for BJTU’s achievements in the research field of rail traffic safety.