SAS dean travels to Asia

In between reaching the top of Victoria's Peak in Hong Kong and waiting in the "world's worse traffic jams" in Bangkok, School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens spent two weeks promoting the University in Southeast Asia. Talking with alumni, visiting other educational institutions and being an ambassador for the University were the main objectives of Stevens' business trip, which included stops in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. "It was a chance for me to see individuals and to cement the loyalty of our Penn alumni," Stevens said. With University President Judith Rodin preparing to visit Hong Kong in March, Stevens briefed alumni and Hong Kong Alumni Association President George Hongchoy on the upcoming trip. Although the focus of the trip was not to solicit donations for the University, Stevens said she wanted to establish the initial connection and that gifts to the University would be a result from this trip. Stevens visited two universities while in Bangkok -- Chulalongkorn University and Huachien Chalermprakiet. She discussed the role of the research university in the modern world in a meeting with Huachien Chalermprakiet President Pianchai Ninsuvannakul. "The meeting was very useful in looking at the future of higher education since they are discussing some of the same ideas that we are here at Penn, but seen from a different cultural perspective," Stevens said. Stevens also discussed the possibility of Penn graduates filling teacher positions at Huachien Chalermprakiet, a service-oriented institution with a recently established medical school, with Ninsuvannakul. Stevens also met with several social agencies to organize volunteering opportunities for Penn students. She also worked to cultivate internship placements for Penn undergraduates. "I think it's very important that administrators here have a concrete understanding of life in different major cities around the world," Stevens said. She also met with University alumni Don Morrison, editor for Time-Asia, and Simon Elegant, editor for Far Eastern Economic Review, in Hong Kong -- attempting to solidify alumni relations. "I wanted to get the advice of alumni on how they see Penn, which is very well in terms of education and opportunities," Stevens said. And Stevens managed to find time to see various sites and to shop in Hong Kong. "This was definitely a fun trip," she said. Although she has no more foreign trips planned, Stevens said she would like to travel to other countries on a regular basis in order to develop and cultivate alumni relations.