For the first time ever, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS)—along with its Office of International and Executive Programs (OIEP)—conducted an online welcome ceremony in honor of students newly enrolled in the UMD-Nanjing Normal University (NNU) joint Master's degree in Criminal Justice. 

OIEP director Mengxue Li introduced and moderated the event, which took place on October 15, 2020, and featured a series of speakers headlined by Dean Gregory F. Ball (UMD/BSOS), Director Zhijun Yan (NNU/Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges), Dean Daotong Cai (NNU/Law School), and Gary LaFree (Chair, UMD/Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice).

Collectively, the speakers praised the UMD-NNU partnership that has sustained the criminal justice program for nearly two decades, affirmed that the degree enjoys flagship status on both campuses, and cited the program as a model of collaborative international graduate education.  NNU and UMD leaders participating in the event also took the opportunity to pledge renewed support for the program and expressed confidence that it will continue to build on its demonstrated record of success and achieve increased stature in both China and the U.S.

In addition to remarks delivered by the featured speakers, event highlights included:

  • Student testimonials given by a representative of the 2019-2020 cohort (now delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 emergency) and a representative of the 2020-2021 cohort (both groups are expected to arrive at UMD in June 2021 to start their completion residency);
  • An OIEP-produced video short entitled "Portraits of the BSOS/OIEP Experience" containing scenes of recent and current criminal justice cohorts, OIEP-sponsored short-term training workshops, and views of the beautiful NNU and UMD campuses;
  • A lively Q & A session during which Dean Ball, Dean Cai, and other faculty responded to student queries about UMD and NNU policies, American culture, and options for post-MA studies.

Key participants at both universities rated the virtual welcome ceremony as a milestone in UMD-NNU relations; in this regard, OIEP is determined to build on the momentum generated by the event by increasing the scope and tempo of the OIEP-NNU Law School partnership—which has now lasted eighteen years and is still going strong. 

Please see more information about the online welcome reception here.

speaker collage