At least two Chinese universities could achieve "world-class" status within the next 20 years, the president of one of the United States' oldest higher education institutions said yesterday in Beijing.

Yale University's Richard Levin made the comment at the start of a 10-day visit by about 100 Yale faculty, students and administrators, the biggest delegation from the university ever to visit China.

President Hu Jintao, who extended the invitation to the Ivy League university during his 2006 visit to the US, met the delegation last night at the Great Hall of the People.

Hu said the visit of Levin's delegation will help promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, as well as the stable and healthy development of Sino-US relations.

The president expressed his hope that Yale University students build strong relationships with the young people of China.

In an interview with Chinese media, Levin said the country had made great progress in strengthening its top universities, by investing more in first-class facilities including research labs.

"The key ingredients to being a world-class university are top students and top faculties," Levin said.

"I don't think there is any doubt that China's top universities today have students that are as good as any in the world.

"What remains to be built are faculties that are at the very frontier of research in their fields and worldwide leaders in their research endeavors."

The delegation will spend its days meeting government leaders and visiting universities and other historical and cultural sites in Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an. The Chinese government and Yale are sharing the cost of the trip.

Participating students and faculty, the majority of whom had never before been to China, were handpicked to represent the university's different schools.

Delegation groups will today meet with government leaders, including Yang Jiechi, the minister of foreign affairs and Jiang Zhenghua, chairman of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party.

The visiting students may even bridge some cultural divides.

"I think that young people can play a very important role in securing a peaceful future for the US and China," Levin said.

"Today, especially among the older generation, there is a great deal of ignorance about China in the United States, and some ignorance about the United States in China as well."

Before leaving for China, some of the delegation met with US President George W. Bush, who spoke about the importance of "people-to-people diplomacy".

"I think the trip will serve a cultural purpose in that our students will get a deeper understanding of Chinese culture to the extent that this throws into public view the importance of student-to-student exchanges," Levin said.

"And that certainly serves a political purpose."

(China Daily 05/17/2007 page3)