Though his academic specialty is chemistry, you can think of Hong Yang as a kind of civil engineer—building bridges of commerce and cultural understanding between his native China and his adoptive state.
A member of the chemistry department faculty at North Carolina State University in Raleigh before coming to Minnesota, Yang became director of the University of Minnesota China Center in June 2000. While the China Center has existed since 1979 to manage the University of Minnesota’s exchanges with the People’s Republic of China, Yang has put his distinctive stamp on the cultural organization, expanding its reach.
For instance, Yang instituted the annual U.S.–China Bridges Lecture at the university, which features a talk by an academic leader, notable entrepreneur, or government dignitary from either country. He has also been involved in outreach efforts on behalf of China in Minnesota communities and schools. In 2002, he created an annual China Day, which encourages state senior high school students to study Mandarin Chinese. In addition, he helped develop a program that provides Mandarin-speaking U.S. students and recent graduates with opportunities to work in China, and helped establish a China study-abroad program for U of M students.
Shortly after becoming director of the China Center, Yang established the Mingda Institute for Leadership Training, which offers continuing executive education at the university for 200 to 300 mid-career Chinese business and government officials each year. Institute courses and workshops cover a variety of business-related subjects, including trade, human resources, and leadership. In addition, Yang was instrumental in creating the University of Minnesota Law School’s master of law (LLM) degree program in Beijing. An LLM degree is an internationally recognized postgraduate law degree.
All told, “Dr. Yang has provided extensive leadership in the Twin Cities for the University of Minnesota and educators in China,” says Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, who nominated Yang for the award. “His achievements are international in scope and depth; he has provided a bridge for Minnesota and China in government and business.”
