Georgia Tech Closer to China Project

Georgia Tech has gotten preliminary approval to launch a second joint degree program with Peking University in Beijing, China. The full state Board of Regents is set to vote on the measure Wednesday. A committee approved it unanimously Tuesday. University officials say the program will be a doctoral degree in material sciences and engineering. The two universities would hold academic exchange programs, providing students and faculty opportunities to travel overseas and gain a global education. Georgia Tech already has a joint program in biomedical engineering with Atlanta's Emory University and Peking University. Georgia Tech also has similar programs with universities in South Africa, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain and Italy.

(Associated Press)

Ft. Benning: a shooting star aims at Beijing

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Callahan, in training for the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens, Greece. (Photo by Tim Hipps)

Elizabeth Callahan qualified for her fourth U.S. Olympic team Thursday at age 56, finishing second in the sport pistol competition at the U.S. shooting trials to earn a trip to Beijing.

The oldest known American woman to have competed in the Summer Olympics is Kyra Downton at age 55, according to USA Shooting and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Downton was in the equestrian competition in 1968.

Rebecca 'Beki' Snyder also earned a spot by winning the sport pistol event. Three others also qualified for Beijing at the trials Thursday: Mike Anti in prone rifle, and Jason Turner and Daryl Szarenski in free pistol.

Callahan competed in the 1992, 1996 and 2004 Olympics. Snyder also is heading to the Olympics for the fourth time.

Anti qualified for his fourth trip to the Olympics, winning the prone rifle event. American Matt Emmons, the 2004 Olympic champion in prone rifle, had already secured spots for Beijing in prone and three-position rifle.

Anti won silver in 2004 in the three-position event.

"I am very excited about making the team, but we have so many good prone shooters in the U.S., so it is kind of a bittersweet victory for me,'' Anti said.

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(The Associated Press)

Lewis calls for Olympics boycott

A Georgia Congressman says he will boycott part of the Beijing Olympics. U.S Representative John Lewis tells the Atlanta Journal Constitution the U.S. should not attend the opening ceremonies. Thousands of protestors have disrupted the world tour of the Olympic Torch in Paris, London and San Francisco. They accuse China of human rights abuses and of oppressing the country, culture and religion of Tibet.

Perdue opens Georgia business center in China

Governor Sonny Perdue is continuing his week-long trip in China. Perdue and the delegation from the state yesterday cut the ribbon on the Beijing Georgia Business Advisory Center. The hope is to spearhead business development between Georgia and China. The 60-member delegation returns home on the weekend.

Governor leads Georgia delegation into China

Governor Sonny Perdue is in China this morning, kicking-off a week-long trip with state business, academic and government officials. The delegation took Delta’s first daily non-stop flight to Shanghai yesterday morning. After starting the trip in Shanghai, the delegation will go to Beijing where the Governor will open Georgia’s Business Advisory Center. Perdue’s intention is to fortify Georgia’s business ties with China. The country is already Georgia’s second-largest export destination with 1.6 billion dollars in goods in 2007.