President Zhang spoke about how in it’s over 60-year history USTB has become known as the “cradle of iron and steel engineers”, becoming a leading multidisciplinary university in China. USTB has developed prestigious programs in the fields of metallurgy, materials, mining, mechanical engineering, as well as other disciplines, and have played an important role in China’s steel industry. At the same time the university has pursued cooperative agreements with other prestigious universities, research institutes, and multinational corporations. He concluded saying that he hoped USTB could work more closely with the government and universities of Maranhao, pursuing common interests in personnel training, academic exchange, and cooperation on research.

 

Lieutenant Governor Carlos Orleans then thanked USTB for its warm welcome, and proceeded to the status of construction projects in Maranhao and the CBSTEEL Industrial Park. The Park is a joint venture between the Brazilian and Chinese governments which was established in a strategic agreement which was signed by the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on May 19, 2015. The project will be constructed in two phases, with the first phase using over 3 million tons of ultra-high-strength HIB silicon steel, and the phase using over 10 million tons. The Lieutenant Governor invited USTB to establish research centers at the CBSTEEL Industrial Park, and personally invited President Zhang to visit Mara Leon in Brazil.

 

After the meeting President Zhang, Lieutenant Governor Carlos Orleans, and General Manager Zhang together signed a memorandum of cooperation. Afterwards the visiting guests were taken on a tour of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy.