UNLV launches Chinese institute with $15M donation from Las Vegas Sands

UNLV is getting a new institute for Chinese language and culture after a $15 million donation by Las Vegas Sands Corp. to the UNLV Foundation.

Sands and the university on Monday announced the establishment of the Sands Institute for Chinese Language and Culture at UNLV following its approval by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents at its meeting on Thursday.

The regents’ vote officially launched the institute, which now will begin the process of hiring personnel and establishing classes and programs.

Sands, the dominant resort operator in the Chinese enclave of Macao, has been a steady supporter of fostering Chinese culture since it opened Sands Macao in 2004.

“This partnership with UNLV reflects our dedication to global engagement and cultural exchange,” Sands Chairman and CEO Robert Goldstein said in a statement. “The Sands Institute for Chinese Language and Culture at UNLV will serve as a vital resource for students, scholars and the broader community to immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of China.”

Maryland Parkway location

The institute will be located in UNLV’s newly renovated Maryland Administrative Building on Maryland Parkway, offering a central location accessible to both university students and the broader Las Vegas community. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, exhibition spaces and meeting venues designed to host a wide array of events.

“I think that it’s really kind of a triangulation between us being interested in increasing our number of international students and that, in part, follows along with us being one of the most diverse undergraduate campuses in the country, and we value that,” UNLV President Keith Whitfield said in an exclusive interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“We value the richness that comes from having people from different places and different perspectives,” he said. “I think that all of the incredible work that Sands does around the world, and this is one of the places that they have now decided that they are going to have a place to provide an interchange or an exchange between people. It triangulates with all of this — that our goal is to be able to spread our knowledge — but also to be able to have some opportunities for both our faculty and our students to be able to see other parts of the world.”

Whitfield said he had visited China several times prior to his appointment as UNLV president in August 2020. He said those trips have helped him appreciate the value of introducing the culture to local students and residents.

“There’s different ways in which you can design these kinds of interactions, and ways to be able to benefit from the knowledge that’s either here or there,” he said. “But it’s always one of understanding and seeing a culture that’s slightly different.”

A UNLV student minoring in the university’s Chinese language program believes the presence of the Sands Institute for Chinese Language and Culture will provide new opportunities for people to learn about the country and its people.

“Usually my classes are really tiny,” said Abbie Millman, a junior from Las Vegas, who takes at least one Chinese course a semester. “If you just walked in, you would think to yourself, ‘How is this still a program here?’ Because there’s usually 10 or fewer people in my Chinese classes, and that’s been pretty consistent throughout the entry-level classes and to the upper-division level classes. So to get that kind of recognition and support for the university, it’s tremendous. For me as a student, especially, it’s really nice to have something that I pride myself in to be recognized.”

Win-win project

UNLV Executive Vice President and Provost Chris Heavey concurs that the institute will be a win-win for both students and the community.

“The Sands Institute will significantly increase learning opportunities for local students and community members, providing them with the tools to engage more effectively with the world around them,” he said in a statement. “The incredibly generous support from Sands is crucial in bringing this vision to life, and we look forward to the opportunities it will create for our university and the wider Las Vegas community.”

Sands operates The Venetian Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Hotel Macao and Sands Macao in the Macao Special Administrative Region, China, through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd. It also operates Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

“We are honored to support an initiative that will enhance Chinese cultural literacy and provide significant opportunities for meaningful intercultural dialogue in one of the world’s most visible cities and one of its most dynamic universities,” Goldstein said.

The Review-Journal is owned by the Adelson family, including Dr. Miriam Adelson, majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp., and Las Vegas Sands President and COO Patrick Dumont.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.