For Immediate Release

ASQ Collaborates With China’s Wuhan University

Agreement Provides Knowledge Sharing, Opportunities to Students in China

Milwaukee, Wis., July 20, 2009 — ASQ (American Society for Quality) and the Institute of Quality Development Strategy (IQDS) of Wuhan University (China) have made an agreement to cooperate in academic exchange, project research and student involvement.

As part of the collaboration, ASQ has agreed to make its Quality Body of Knowledge (QBOK®) and related materials available to IQDS. Additional collaborative activities will include:

• Cooperation in training and education
  IQDS will use ASQ’s Quality Body of Knowledge (QBOK®) and related materials to construct educational programs.
• Certification opportunities
  ASQ will provide relevant certification in Mandarin to Wuhan University students.
  Potential certifications include: Certified Quality Improvement Associate, Certified Quality Process Analyst
• Overseas education and internship opportunities
  ASQ’s Richard A. Freund International Scholarship is available to students globally.
• ASQ and IQDS will plan and implement conferences on quality-related topics

"This agreement opens many doors for both ASQ and Wuhan University students interested in Quality," said Robert Chalker, ASQ Global managing director. "Providing ASQ’s Body of Knowledge to the Wuhan University will offer their students a solid foundation for understanding the principles of quality and allowing them to be immediate contributors to the companies and organizations that hire them."

Wuhan University students may also become ASQ Student members. A student membership gives full-time students access to networking and training opportunities. Joining ASQ helps students on their path to professional success.

ASQ China is a wholly owned subsidiary of ASQ located in Beijing, China. A second office is located in Shanghai. ASQ China associates are familiar with the needs of quality professionals in China. ASQ China offers resources and training designed to meet Chinese standards and regulations while meeting the needs dictated by culture and languages.

ASQ, www.asq.org, has been the world’s leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great®. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.