Purdue to help businesses, towns participate in global economy

Purdue University is offering help to Indiana communities and businesses to tap into the global economy, beginning with China.

Purdue's Global Business Engagement Initiative will is a joint effort with the school's office of engagement, university officials said. China is the first country chosen for the initiative, which is aimed at generating trade and investment opportunities for Indiana companies and communities.

Purdue announced the move Friday at its Indiana Mayoral Roundtable on China, which included 100 leaders from 39 cities, including more than 20 mayors.

"Purdue is willing to help Indiana communities of all sizes develop a China strategy, assess Chinese demand for Indiana products and investments, market their business opportunities in China, and provide expertise on cultural and business dimensions of Chinese investors," Michael A. Brzezinski, Purdue's interim dean of international programs, said in a news release.

He said Purdue's ties with Chinese universities also connect it to Chinese research parks, potential investors and sources of business partners for Indiana firms.

Other Purdue resources include engineering faculty who provide technical consulting services and programs to promote Chinese language and culture through business workshops and translation services.

"Purdue University is home to an array of resources that Indiana officials can tap as they pursue economic opportunities with China, the second largest economy in the world," Brzezinski said.

Guoqiang Yang, consul general for China in Chicago, was the keynote speaker at the Indiana Mayoral Roundtable and spoke about trends in Chinese investment in the Midwest. Indiana mayors who traveled to China with Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2009 and 2010 also spoke about their experiences.