HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	21
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the establishment of a china-hawaii college student exchange program between shanxi university and the university of hawaii.

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is actively seeking to expand its international ties and has an abiding interest in developing goodwill, friendship, and economic relations between the people of Hawaii and the people of countries in the Asia-Pacific region; and

WHEREAS, the promotion of international friendship and understanding between nations encourages peace between societies with differing points of view; and

WHEREAS, student exchange programs between the University of Hawaii and other states and nations provide opportunities to experience and learn first-hand about the diverse cultures of people from around the nation and the globe; and

WHEREAS, students involved in international student exchange programs benefit through cultural and societal immersion that could never be experienced in a classroom setting; and

WHEREAS, the international experience of studying, living, and working abroad increases a graduate's chances of landing a good job; and

WHEREAS, having international students on American campuses and American students on campuses overseas helps provide a more international experience to students, especially for those unable to study abroad; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii-Okinawa Student Exchange Program between students from Hawaii and the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan, now in its twenty-seventh year, has demonstrated the benefits of student exchange programs established in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, while the people of China and the people of Hawaii share a long and storied history, as many residents of Hawaii can trace their familial heritage to China, particularly Southern China, major cultural and customary differences continue to exist between the two societies; and

WHEREAS, today Shanxi Province is not only known for its coal mining industry, but also for its gardening, fruit production, architecture, sculpture, carving, and other arts; and

WHEREAS, the establishment of a college student exchange program between Shanxi University and the University of Hawaii would help bridge cultural differences between American and Chinese citizens through observation, interaction, cultural and societal immersion, and dialogue; and

WHEREAS, economic prosperity for both Shanxi Province and Hawaii can also be achieved through the development of a college student exchange program between Shanxi University and the University of Hawaii as students returning to their respective homes introduce family, friends, and others to the beauty and cultures of each location visited; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaii System is requested to establish a student exchange program between students of Shanxi University and the University of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the program be known as the "Shanxi University-University of Hawaii Student Exchange Program"; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Shanxi University-University of Hawaii Student Exchange Program shall emphasize and promote the fostering of communication, cooperation, and courtesies among the participants; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawaii System and the President of Shanxi University.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Requesting the establishment of a student exchange program between the University of Hawaii and Shanxi University.