For more than a decade, Clark University and Hefei University of Technology (HFUT) have maintained a bilateral partnership connecting faculty, students, and academic programs across continents. Many Clark faculty members have taught classes both online and in Hefei, China, and Clark has welcomed HFUT students through semester-long study opportunities and specialized summer programs.
This longstanding collaboration now includes a dual-degree program, which enables students to earn a Clark undergraduate degree in finance alongside an HFUT degree in digital economy. Before launching, the program underwent a comprehensive review by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Clark’s accrediting body, and received full approval from China’s Ministry of Education. Clark’s agreement is specifically with HFUT’s School of Economics.
To celebrate the program’s launch, Provost John Magee led a Clark delegation to Hefei last month, where he addressed both the inaugural dual-degree cohort of 100 students and the broader incoming class of the School of Economics. He was joined by John Labrie, associate provost and dean of graduate studies and international programs; Ercan Balci, instructor in the American Language and Culture Institute; and instructor and translator Ying Juan Rodgers.
During the visit, Clark and HFUT held the first meeting of the Joint Management Committee, the governing body responsible for coordinating the delivery of the two-degree programs and addressing operational challenges as they arise. The delegation also explored future opportunities for collaboration between the institutions.
The visit culminated in a ceremony during which Magee and HFUT President Wang Meng signed a declaration of cooperation that formalizes the partnership and reaffirms both universities’ commitment to expanding educational opportunities and strengthening international engagement. Also representing Hefei University were Hong Richang, vice president for academics; Xia Na, dean of the School of Economics; Zhuang Delin, director of the Office of International Cooperation Zhuang Delin, and other dignitaries.
According to NECHE standards, a dual degree may be delivered with a partner institution if the academic standards of each school’s degree are not altered and if students attend the equivalent of an additional year of academic study to ensure the subject matter of the two degrees is properly delivered.
