Along with producing professional theatre in China, and promoting and facilitating cultural/artistic exchange between the Chinese theatre communities and those around the world, I am thrilled to be a part of the efforts as PKU takes the lead in Chinese higher education in this new field of study. The challenges are enormous, and the potential nearly unlimited in the use of and the positive effect created by such means of creative education. Such work not only provides enormous help in guiding students to a more complete understanding of dramatic literature while at the same time vastly improving their spoken English skills, but of equal importance, performance oriented classes foster a kind of creative thinking within students which they will use to great effect as they move into their professional lives in the wide varieties of their endeavors. The possibility for performing arts to become regular courses in Mainland universities is a most exciting one indeed, and, perhaps, a seemingly indispensable one in developing a fully rounded liberal arts education. And although the current work here of this nature is not, so far, meant to be a training ground for those interested in going into the theatre as a profession, but rather, as stated, an educational tool that will impact students' lives in whatever their chosen field may be, it is interesting to note that a substantial number of PKU students who participated in its performance oriented classes, have gone to American universities to pursue MFA's in the theatre arts. Also in the summer of 2006, a former PKU student, Hu Xiaoqing, an active participant in these drama in performance programs, directed her own adaptation of The Journey to the West and The Magic Lotus Lantern at a professional theatre in Texas in the US, and that three former PKU students, all longtime participants in the above mentioned programs, toured over 50 American high schools with a new play written and performed by themselves, The Land of The Dragon (a look at Chinese history) in the fall of 2006. The Journey to the West and The Magic Lotus Lantern productions and the tour were arranged by the Institute and were funded by the professional American theatre companies, The Texas Shakespeare Festival and The Arkansas Repertory Theatre.