On July 31, the governor of the state of Nebraska (USA), Dave Heineman, visited XJTU. He was welcomed by XJTU Deputy Party Secretary Gong Hui who met with Governor and his party in the university's new American Exchange Center (AEC). Governor Heineman's visit to China came at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). Because of the close cooperative relationship between XJTU and the University of Nebraska, begun in 2005, XJTU was the first stop on the governor's visit to Shaanxi province.

Later in the day, Governor Heineman was given a tour of the AEC, a joint project between XJTU and the University of Nebraska, which is located on the third floor of Yifu Building. During the tour, Deputy Party Secretary Gong Hui gave the governor and his party a slide presentation on XJTU's history and development. They also heard a presentation on the work of the Center from its Assistant Director. Afterward, the parties exchanged gifts.