It is such a thrill to be at one of the largest, most diverse institutions of higher learning in America -- one that just this week was named one of the top community colleges in the nation. (Applause.) More than 170, 000 students study across your eight campuses.

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Ten miles from there, Oberlin College, one of the great private institutions of higher learning in this country -- at Oberlin College, there was a building built there seven or eight years ago, fully powered by solar panels.

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It also helps Chinese students develop confidence, initiative, commitment and active learning -- all qualities that are cherished by our higher institutions.

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And in online education, the addition of elite higher institutions of learning to the mix has really been a game-changer.

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To be sure, more than 6 million students in the U.S. are now taking at least one course online, and 65 percent of higher education institutions say online learning is a critical part of their long-term strategy, according to a 2011 report from the Babson Survey Research Group .

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