Applied Mathematics in China

Last fall a delegation of U.S. college mathematics educators visited a dozen Chinese universities at the invitation of the Chinese Mathematical Society. The institutions we visited included general universities, normal (teacher-training) universities, and engineering and technical institutes. The Chinese were interested to learn of innovations and technical developments, and we sought an assessment of progress in repairing the wounds of the Cultural Revolution. I was particularly interested in the extent to which mathematical modeling is taught, as well as in the nature and content of courses in applied mathematics.