On 15 and 16 October 2004, TUT was the host institution for the All-China Higher Special Education Conference. The conference was conducted as part of TUT's PEN-International outreach efforts. There were more than 60 educators and administrators in attendance from 20 different provinces in China. Four papers were presented at the gathering by faculty members of PEN-International from the USA. RIT Vice President for NTID, T. Alan Hurwitz, delivered welcome remarks at the official opening ceremony.

Topics presented by the USA PEN-International delegations included:

• "PEN-International: Focusing on Deaf Education in the Pacific Rim" by James J. DeCaro and Guodong Bao
• "The ASSURE Model: Instructional Design" by E. William Clymer and James J. DeCaro
• "Tertiary Deaf Education in China: A Report of a Two-Year Research Study with Recommendations" by Patricia A. Mudgett-DeCaro and James J. DeCaro
• "Health Care and the Deaf Postsecondary Student: Observations and Educational Impact" by Carolyn R. Stern, MD