On 20 March 2003 the new PEN-International Multimedia Conferencing Lab was officially dedicated at the Special Education College (SEC) )of Beijing Union University. The opening ceremonies were conducted live via videoconference between the USA and China, utilizing the new lab. There were more than 30 students, faculty, administrators, and government officials present in China, with NTID Vice President Davila and PEN-International Director DeCaro present in the USA.
President Qu Xueli of SEC served as the master of ceremonies for the celebration. Presentations, well wishes, and remarks were offered by the following dignitaries from China:
- Bao Guodong, Director, Technical College for the Deaf of Tianjin University of Technology
- Cheng Kai, Deputy Director, China Disabled Persons Federation
- Geng Xuechao, Director, Beijing Education Committee
- Li Shuhua, Director, Beijing Disabled Persons Federation
- Xi Wenqi, Party Secretary, Beijing Union University
- Zhang Miaodi, President, Beijing Union University
Drs. Davila and DeCaro expressed their appreciation to all present for the collaborative work done to create the new facility. The lab now is being used for in-service training workshops and faculty development seminars between NTID, TUT, and SEC.
