Iowa State President Martin Jischke returned Saturday night from a trip to China which he called a success.

“We accomplished all of the goals we had for the trip,” Jischke said. “In many ways we actually surpassed our goals.”

Jischke spoke at a press conference in the Office of the President in Beardshear Hall Monday afternoon. Jischke left for China on June 21.

Goals Jischke had highlighted for the trip were to increase efforts of research partnerships among Chinese universities and ISU and to increase the opportunity for exchanges of both faculty and students among China, Hong Kong and ISU.

Jischke said he found a “great desire” among many of the Chinese to collaborate with ISU in various research areas, especially agriculture and veterinary medicine.

The desire for excellence in research is the reason behind all of the collaborative efforts between Chinese universities and ISU, Jischke said.

He added that Chinese universities have resources that could be beneficial to Iowa. Research currently being done on soybeans and swine could be quite helpful to the state, Jischke said.

Jischke said students can benefit from studying in China for many reasons, including the rich history of the country and the rapid economic and industrial growth that is taking place.

“China is emerging as one of the major economies of the world,” Jischke said. “Students are going to need to be able to work effectively in a world economy.”

While in China, Jischke visited a gene bank research center which hosts around 300,000 various germplasm and an institute of biotechnical research dealing with the genetic engineering of plants such as cotton which are important to China’s economy.

Jischke also gave a lecture at Qinghua University in Beijing, often described as “the MIT of China,” concerning international cooperation in higher education.

“While at Qinghua,” Jischke said, “I joked that MIT is the Qinghua of the United States.”

While at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science in Beijing, Jischke and Chinese officials signed a memorandum of understanding he said will foster opportunities for both faculty and students of ISU to study there.

The Chinese are interested in collaborating with Iowa, Jischke said, because of its status as one of the leading agricultural states in the nation. World trade in agriculture is especially important, he said.

“The people of China are very self-sufficient,” Jischke said, “but circumstances will arise, and China will at some point need to buy [agricultural goods] on the world market.”

Jischke also stopped at Tienamen Square on the trip.

He said while Tienamen Square is often seen as a “symbol of oppression” in the United States, most of the people he spoke with in Hong Kong view the massacre at Tienamen Square as “something that was a part of China at a different time in history.”

Jischke added he “never felt anything but safe,” while in Hong Kong, which the British returned to the Chinese only one week ago.

“The people in Hong Kong are for the most part very open, and they speak their minds,” he said. “To me, it was a very safe place — I didn’t feel any threat.”

Jischke said a sense of loss for his British contacts while in Hong Kong was overshadowed by the inevitability of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule.

“There was no doubt that this transition had to happen — that was decided 14 years ago,” Jischke said. “But I think there was a lot of pride in the condition that Hong Kong was in at the point when British rule ended — it is a bustling, prosperous area.”

Jischke called the transition of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule “an important point in history.”

He added that many of the Chinese in Hong Kong experienced “great joy and jubilation” as Hong Kong was returned to its motherland.

“One million people were invited to Tienamen Square to march and celebrate the transition,” Jischke said.

Jischke said while many citizens of Hong Kong are very pleased and look forward to the future of Hong Kong under Chinese rule, people cannot help becoming a bit apprehensive of the inevitable changes which will occur.