Dean Yortsos with dignitaries at the Los Angeles signing.

On Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, USC Viterbi School of Engineering signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Science, Industry, Trade and Information Technology Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (SZ SITIC) to explore educational and research collaborations in China.

The signing took place at a morning ceremony celebrating the new Downtown Los Angeles headquarters of Shenzhen-based electric car company, BYD. Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin and a delegation from the municipality were welcomed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa before meeting with a variety of new Los Angeles partners, counterparts and leaders, including the USC Viterbi School.

In his remarks during the ceremony, Villaraigosa expressed pride and hope in the emerging partnerships between Los Angeles and Shenzhen.

"Los Angeles is where the world creates and innovates," he said. It is the City’s hope that BYD’s Los Angeles opening, as well as the MOU between Shenzhen and USC Viterbi, will serve as a catalyst for “good jobs, global investment and a more sustainable future.”

An agreement of three years, the MOU also establishes the Shenzhen Research Institute of USC, which will coordinate with SZ SITIC on behalf of the USC Viterbi School.