Ann Arbor Times

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) announced the termination of its engineering teaching partnerships with Guangxi University (GU) and Beibu Gulf University (BGU) in China. The decision was detailed in a letter to U.S. Representatives John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg on May 28, 2025, following a request from the congressmen on February 18, 2025.

In his letter, EMU President James Smith emphasized the university's commitment to national security: “EMU takes seriously the importance of protecting U.S. national security. We are proud of our longstanding designation by the U.S. National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense education. EMU fully complies with U.S. foreign disclosure requirements.”

Smith clarified that neither partnership involved research or technology transfer, stating, “Neither the BGU nor the GU partnership involves any research or technology transfer. These are exclusively teaching programs that do not teach cyber security. The course content for all offered classes is widely available in the public domain.”

Regarding the partnership with GU, Smith noted that no students are currently enrolled and steps are being taken to dissolve the program: “EMU’s teaching partnership with GU does not currently enroll any students and we are working with our partner to dissolve the program.” As for BGU, Smith mentioned efforts to support current students: “After careful review, we have also elected to terminate our teaching partnership with BGU. We are working with BGU to ensure that the students who are currently enrolled in the program are able to complete their academic studies in an orderly manner.”

Eastern Michigan University was founded in 1849 and is recognized for its diverse range of academic programs serving nearly 13,000 students across various disciplines.