Government publishing office

36
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL
95248e-1.eps

---

37
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL
95248e-2.eps

---

38
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL
95248e-3.eps

---

39
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00043
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL
95248e-4.eps

---

40
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL
95248e-5.eps

---

41
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL
95248e-6.eps

---

42
Mr. S
MITH
. Mr. Daly, thank you so very much for your testimony. 
We are joined by Eliot Engel, who is the ranking Democrat on 
the full Foreign Affairs Committee. 
Mr. Engel. 
Mr. E
NGEL
. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
for calling this hearing. Thank you for your leadership. We have 
discussed this together for many, many years. Thank you for your 
concern about academic freedom, especially when it comes to Amer-
ican institutions operating in the People’s Republic of China. 
Let me welcome our witnesses. Thank you for sharing your time 
and expertise. We really, really appreciate it. 
I want to give a shout-out to Vice Chancellor Lehman. NYU is 
near and dear to my heart. I am very proud to have that as one 
of the wonderful institutions in New York City. And while you are 
not in New York City, you are certainly an extension of that won-
derful, wonderful campus. And so welcome. And I also am told that 
you are a native of Bronxville, New York, which is in my district. 
So that is two good things. And I know you have come a long way 
to be with us today, all the way from Shanghai. I am so grateful 
to see you. 
I support these things. I think academic exchanges are a very 
critical tool to building relationships between Americans and peo-
ple around the world. I was a teacher myself. Before I ever got a 
law degree, before I ever went into politics, I was a classroom 
teacher. I have seen firsthand how new ideas and new perspectives 
can transform a student’s understanding of the world and of them-
selves. And when students from around the world sit in our class-
rooms, or when American academics teach and research abroad, I 
really believe it helps to spread knowledge and understanding. And 
these person-to-person ties are the foundation of strong engage-
ments between countries and governments. And that is why I think 
these exchanges are a priority and should remain so in our foreign 
policy. So thank all of you for what you do. 
The United States and China have a troubled relationship in 
many ways, but have a long history of educational exchange. And 
as Mr. Daly testified, the U.S. has had far more influence on China 
as a result of these educational exchanges than China has had on 
the United States. So we should put aside the question of whether 
these exchanges should take place, the value, as far as I am con-
cerned is clear, but we should be asking how they take place. We 
need to make sure these educational agreements continue to ben-
efit students and teachers, and also to advance American interests. 
We have heard that NYU has worked hard to maintain full aca-
demic freedom on their campus in Shanghai. So far the Chinese 
authorities, I am told, haven’t interfered with course material or 
classroom discussions. So to me, it seems that the NYU Shanghai 
campus is resulting in more freedom and a greater exchange of 
ideas, not less. To be sure, NYU needs to stay vigilant in protecting 
these freedoms, and I expect that will be the case. 
Another issue is whether financial arrangements between univer-
sity partners could prejudice the academic freedom of U.S. institu-
tions. Fort Hays State has established two campuses in China that 
issue U.S. bachelor’s degrees to Chinese students, one through a 
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00046
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL

---

43
partnership with Sias International University, and one with the 
Shenyang Normal University. 
Dr. Martin, I guess, will testify in your written testimony that 
the faculty have voluntarily chosen to avoid the topic of the 
Tiananmen Square massacre. The issue is considered too sensitive 
for discussion in China. I think we need to take a hard look at this 
sort of self-censorship and how it relates to the academic freedom 
of American institutions, and I look forward to a rich discussion. 
So I am going to end by again thanking the chairman for having 
this very important hearing and thanking our witnesses for giving 
their unique perspectives. That is how we in Congress learn. We 
talk to ourselves too much. We like to learn by talking to people 
who are experts in what they do. 
So thank you all, and I appreciate you coming here today. 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. S
MITH
. Thank you very much, Mr. Engel. 
Dr. Martin, please proceed. 
STATEMENT OF MIRTA M. MARTIN, PH.D., PRESIDENT, FORT 
HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY 
Ms. M
ARTIN
. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and distinguished 
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Thank you for af-
fording me today the opportunity to come before you and to provide 
you with testimony. In the interest of time, and with your permis-
sion, Mr. Chairman, I will provide you a summary of those com-
ments since you have the full spectrum in your possession. 
Fort Hays State University was established in 1902 when the 
U.S. House of Representatives decommissioned the U.S. Army 
Base, Fort Hays, and gave the land to form a state university. 
Since then, Fort Hays State University has evolved and is now a 
regional comprehensive university serving close to 14,000 students 
through three modalities: On campus, where we serve approxi-
mately 4,800 students; the Virtual College, which delivers online 
education to about 5,800 students located in Kansas, nearly all 50 
States, and the U.S. Armed Services personnel internationally; and 
in China, where we have approximately 3,100 students. 
In March 1999, Fort Hays State University was introduced to a 
private university in China, Sias International University, a uni-
versity that had previously been approved by the Chinese Govern-
ment. Sias affiliates with the prestigious Zhengzhou University, lo-
cated in the Henan Province of China, which is a sister province 
to the State of Kansas. Fort Hays State University’s profile was 
presented to the Ministry of Education in China, who approved the 
request to deliver courses leading to a bachelor’s degree. This part-
nership came under the Chinese regulation of Sino-Foreign Co-
operation in Running Schools, and the initial agreement was 
signed in May 2000. 
In the fall of 2000, Fort Hays State University delivered its first 
courses to 40 students. Fort Hays State University does not have 
a satellite campus in China; rather, it operates through a partner-
ship agreement to deliver courses leading to bachelor’s degrees 
which are dual in nature. These courses are taught by faculty hired 
by Fort Hays State University, many of whom live on the campuses 
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 
14:25 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 000000
PO 00000
Frm 00047
Fmt 6633
Sfmt 6633
F:\WORK\_AGH\062515\95248
SHIRL

---