In 2025, the China Center awarded the Sping Lin and Ying-Ngoh T. Lin Visiting Scholars Fellowship to Professor Yingling Fan of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Professor Dingliang Yang of the College of Design. Established to expand opportunities for University of Minnesota faculty and staff to host visiting scholars, the fellowship strengthens academic exchange and builds lasting connections with the country and cultures of China.
Professor Fan’s visiting scholar, Wenying Fan, arrived in May to begin her residency at the University.
During her visit at the University of Minnesota, Wenying collaborated with Professor Yingling Fan at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and made valuable contributions to the federally funded project Mobility, Access & Transportation Insecurity (MATI): Creating Links to Opportunity. Specifically, she assisted with analyzing baseline data to examine transportation barriers faced by disadvantaged populations in eight U.S. communities: Anderson, SC; Arlington, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Mansfield, OH; Oahu, HI; San Joaquin, CA; and Portland, ME.
In addition to her research contributions, Wenying played a key role in hosting visiting Chinese scholars in Minneapolis from October 23–25 during the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) 65th Annual Conference.
Professor Yang’s visiting scholar was unable to travel as planned due to visa delays and has postponed her visit. The China Center will continue to support the hosting arrangement once travel becomes feasible.
The Sping Lin and Ying-Ngoh T. Lin Fellowship remains an important tool for advancing faculty collaboration, expanding global networks, and supporting the University’s long-standing commitment to academic exchange with China.