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Published: May 24, 2007

UB co-sponsors China town hall meeting

UB's Asian Studies Program will co-sponsor a nation-wide, interactive China town hall meeting via live Web cast at 6:30 p.m. May 31 in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center at Nichols School, 1250 Amherst St., Buffalo.

The meeting, which will be free and open to the public, will be followed by a reception. It is co-sponsored by Nichols, the International Institute of Buffalo and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, in addition to the Asian Studies Program.

It will begin with a talk by Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the U.S. Department of State. Following his talk, Hill will answer questions from the audience at Nichols, as well as those participating through the Web.

Hill's address will be followed by a talk by Jacques deLisle, Stephen A. Cozen Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, a widely published expert and commentator on China, who will discuss contemporary Chinese law, economics and politics, and take questions from the audience.

Hill is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service whose most recent posts were as ambassador to Korea and head of the U.S. delegation to the Six Party Talks on North Korea. He also has served as ambassador to Poland, ambassador to Macedonia and special envoy to Kosovo.

DeLisle's research focuses on the law and politics of the People's Republic of China, China's approach to international law, Taiwan's international status, legal change and economic reform in China, Hong Kong's transition to and political-legal development under Chinese rule, and public international law. His writings on these subjects appear in a variety of forums.

Life sciences certificate offered

As the biomedical industry develops, workers need knowledge of the regulatory environment in which life sciences products, medical devices and implants are developed, manufactured and sold. Strengthening this knowledge base among life science industry workers is the basis for a new certificate program, "Regulatory Environment of Medical Devices and Implants" (REMeDI), offered by UB's Division of Continuing and Professional Studies.

With a goal of biomedical industry workforce development in Buffalo Niagara, the REMeDI certificate program emphasizes regulatory requirements for the development and sale of biomedical devices and other products from life sciences and biotechnology, as well as principles of materials science and engineering as they are applied to biomedical devices and drug-delivery systems.

The courses that comprise the REMeDI program include foundation courses on the U.S. health care system, and two new courses: "Introduction to Medical Devices and Implants" and "Regulatory Aspects of Medical Devices." The certificate program concludes with a choice of a capstone course, either "Biomaterials Science of Cell/Surface Phenomena" or "Evaluation of Biomedical Materials."

The first course in the certificate program, MFC 250: Introduction to Health Care in the U.S., is offered during Summer Session J, which began Monday and runs through June 29.

The REMeDI certificate program courses are taught by experts recognized by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering as leaders in the field, and who have long-standing research and development relationships with industry.

The academic director of the program is Anne E. Meyer, research associate professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, and director of the UB site of the National Science Foundation-designated Industry/University Center for Biosurfaces.

David Tyler, a business development manager at the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, thinks it is now the right time to launch a life sciences certificate program.

"We work with companies that are looking to start up, expand and grow in the Buffalo-Niagara region. In order for us to grow this industry within our region, we need to have a skilled and available workforce to meet the unique needs of this industry," Tyler says. "That's why we believe the REMeDI program will be a valuable resource for our community."

Adds Meyer: "We have many small medical products companies in our region and growing numbers of medium and large-size companies. All of these companies need talented, educated workers to make their businesses successful in national and international markets."

For more information or to enroll in the program, contact the Division of Continuing and Professional Studies at 829-3131 or mfcadmin@buffalo.edu.

Open figure drawing sessions set

The Student Visual Arts Organization (SVAO) in the Department of Visual Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, is sponsoring open figure drawing sessions from 7-9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, now through Aug. 15, in 218 Center for the Arts, North Campus.

There will be no session on July 4.

The sessions, which are open to the public, cost $5 per session. No registration is required. Easels are provided; artists must bring their own drawing materials.