Jing Xinhai, founding chairman and CEO of CVIC Software Engineering Co. Ltd. (CVIC SE) of Shandong, China, was presented with an honorary doctor of law degree at the University of Regina’s annual fall convocation. The ceremony was held Oct. 19 at the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts. Jing Xinhai was present at the convocation and gave a speech.

In his speech, Jing said, "It is a great honour for me to be here today to receive an Honorary-Doctoral from the University of Regina, and I shall cherish it always. I feel this honour is not given just to me as a single person, but to my colleagues and friends I worked with as well—it is teamwork that has resulted in the shared accomplishments of so many people from both sides of the Pacific Ocean, from both China and Canada. Through their endeavours, we have achieved much; and we have made friends with people from different nationalities and different cultural backgrounds." He continued, "The important, I owe it to Mr. Deng Xiaoping, the former leader of China. Without his open door policy introduced in China in the early 1980’s, it would not have been possible for me to go abroad, nor would it be possible for China to provide such a favourable environment for economic development. Hence, it would not be possible for me to stand on this platform to receive this honour."

Jing soulfully recalled his two years at the University of Regina. He said, "During my two years of study, I achieved much more than the objective I set at the beginning. In addition to technology, the most important thing I learnt was something entirely different from what I had ever learnt previously --new concepts and new ways of thinking. It was during my stay in Regina that I recognized the significance and the importance of communication between East and West. And at that time I realized that the interaction of different cultures and philosophies could lead to something new and better for everyone. "

Jing said, "Two years cannot be said to be a long period in one’s life. But for me, the two years in Regina was a turning point of my career. When I left Regina, I had a dream that I would be able to use what I had learnt about technology and the new way to do things to provide products and tools, which were widely accepted and needed in China, And someday may be accepted world wide. The dream can come true if you really make an effort."

Jing said, "Today we must recognize that we have entered what Marshall McLuhan coined ----The Global Village. Today’s modes of travel, transportation and communications facilitate the rapid movement and exchange of people, products and ideas. Hence your competitor of tomorrow may be operating on the other side of the world today. To prosper and grow local firms and individuals must be aware of what is happening on the world stage. "

Finally, Jing said, "Today I feel especially privileged to be invited on this platform. And I know the honorary degree is more a pressure put on me than an award to my work. Pressure can help us discover our potential. It helps us achieve things that we would never thought we were capable of. For this I thank my Alma Mater the U of R, and there are only three things I can do to credit her—first, make an effort; second, make more effort; third, make still more effort.". Jing ended his speech by quoting the following verse from an ancient Chinese poet


(If you have a friend who knows your heart, Distance can't keep you two apart.)

>>Honorary Doctoral Degree Speech by Jing Xinhai

About Jing Xinhai

Jing Xinhai, chairman and CEO of CVIC SE, has been a friend of the University of Regina for many years. From 1982-84 he was a visiting scholar in the University of Regina’s Computer Science Department – one of the first visiting scholars under an agreement between the University of Regina and Shandong University.

In 1991, Jing and a group of associates founded CVIC SE, now one of the top-ranked software companies in China. CVIC SE is located in Jinan, Shandong province, the city twinned with the City of Regina. CVIC SE also has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and several other cities. CVIC SE specializes in software development, information system integration, and IT solutions. Annual sales now exceed US$120M.

Jing has maintained his close association with the University of Regina and continues to promote and support cultural and scientific exchanges. This association was formalized three years ago with an agreement between the University and CVIC SE that covered co-operative education, visiting scholarship and research collaboration, graduate students, and a joint venture company. The first three components of the agreement have been ongoing. CVIC Software Service Canada (CVIC SSC) in the Regina Research Park was opened on Aug. 29, 2003, giving CVIC SE an international business presence in Canada as well as in Los Angeles, USA, and Sydney, Australia.

Jing sits as an expert on the committee of China’s national high tech development plan. His management team was elected best management team in China’s software industry for 2002. He actively ensures that the University of Regina co-operative education students are full and valued members of the CVIC SE team while in China.

Jing is an elected vice-president of the China Software Industry Association, has been named one of the top 10 Shandong experts coming back from abroad, placed first for the Shandong provincial science and technology advances prize, and has been named among the top 10 leaders of China’s software industry.