CHICAGO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Northwestern University (NU) has said it hopes to deepen and broaden its partnership with Peking University in China to give students, faculty, and staff from both universities the opportunity to grow personally, academically, and professionally in new and exciting ways.

NU Vice President for International Relations Devora Grynspan made the remarks in a news release posted on NU's website last week. Grynspan is also in charge of international partnerships at NU.

The tie between the two universities can trace back to 2011, when NU launched a specially designed summer program at Peking University. Since then, a number of student, faculty, and executive exchanges, and joint and dual-degree programs have flourished between the two universities.

Students from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, Feinberg School of Medicine and Pritzker School of Law have benefited from the exchange programs with Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, Health Science Center, and Law School, respectively, to advance their understanding of their fields in a global cultural, economic and sociopolitical context. While a dual-degree program with Medill School of Journalism enables Peking University students to enroll in the Medill IMC program upon successful completion of a master's degree program at home.

A total of 688 students from across all six undergraduate schools at NU have benefited from these programs.

"When research institutions like Northwestern and Peking University come together to share insights and experiences, they contribute to a rich conversation with the potential to produce new ideas and breakthrough innovation that can shape humanity's future worldwide," said NU vice president for research Jay Walsh.