The President, Mrs McAleese, received an honorary professorship from Shenzhen University on the last day of her state visit to China yesterday. Renagh Holohan reports from Shenzhen
Mrs McAleese visited the university six years ago when she was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, and was welcomed back with a brass band, flowers and a tour of the campus.
The President told students and staff that the foundation of the improvement in the well-being of Ireland was and remained, education.
Like the motto of Shenzhen University, Ireland was "geared to modernisation, geared to the world and geared to the future." she added.
Eighty-two Irish companies and 145 business people, organised by Enterprise Ireland, accompanied the President on her 10 day state visit.
Dozens of contracts were signed and contacts made. Mr Alan Hobbs, Enterprise Ireland Director China, said photo opportunities with the President provided immeasurable opportunities to advance Irish business in China.
Mrs McAleese attended 29 separate events and travelled thousands of miles during eight days in mainland China.
Mr Ted O'Morchoe, of Infocell Telecom, Bray, Co Wicklow, said being able to introduce a client to the President was worth months and months of relationship building.
Business people on the trip ranged from the large, like Glen Dimplex to small and medium-sized companies, such as Audit Diagnostics of Cork.
One of the more unusual education missions was that of the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Prof John Hegarty, and Dr Ivan Filby, director of International Students Affairs, who set out to re-establish links with Trinity College Foochow, southern China.
In 1912 the Dublin University Fukien Mission established Trinity College Foochow, a secondary school for boys which it maintained until 1949. Since then it has been part of the state funded educational system of the People's Republic of China.
Much of the original campus has been destroyed, but the bell tower in the centre of the school, which was cast in Dublin, remains and the chapel is still standing although in need of repair.