May 13 marked the beginning of University of Nebraska Week, a weeklong series of activities sponsored by the University of Nebraska. A series of art and academic exchange activities started.

Invited guests at the opening ceremony, which was presided over by XJTU Vice President Song Xiaoping, included University of Nebraska President James Milliken, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney, Professor Jill Trewhella, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Also in attendance were XJTU president Zheng Nanning, XJTU vice presidents Jiang Zhuangde, Li Wei, Lu Tianjian, Yan Jianqun and Cheng Guangxu, XJTU deputy party secretary Gong Hui, and presidential assistants Yan Hong and Zhang Hanrong.

In his welcoming remarks, President Zheng Nanning said: "Is it not happy to have friends from far away?" University of Nebraska President Milliken responded, saying he hoped that the relationship between the two universities would be a long-lasting one, and that they would continue to develop and strengthen their cooperation and their exchange programs.

The welcoming speeches were followed by musical performances by students from the two universities. The XJTU folk music troupe performed traditional Chinese music on traditional instruments. Students from the University of Nebraska performed classical music on the cello and the violin.