On October 21, 2019, the UK-China Joint Institute Alliance Annual General Meeting was successfully held at Haining International Campus of Zhejiang University.
UK-China Joint Institute Alliance is an organization jointly sponsored by China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) and British Council(BC), which is jointly established by 21 Chinese UK cooperative institutes and serves as a member organization. The alliance is committed to promoting substantive cooperation between Chinese and British institutions and colleges, creating a platform for building a quality brand of Chinese- British cooperative education and promoting the development of Chinese- British cooperative education.
At 9:00 a.m., more than 70 guests from 21 Chinese- British cooperative institutes, representatives of Haining government and organizers gathered at the Qiushi College at the International Campus of Zhejiang University to open the grand event.
Vice President of Zhejiang University Professor Zhenlian He, Deputy Mayor of Haining government of Zhejiang Province Qinli Shen, and Director of Education in China of British Council Wu Yuanyuan all delivered opening speeches.
Professor Lianzhen He first extended a sincere welcome to all member organizations coming to Haining International Campus of Zhejiang University. She said that the initial intention of establishing Zhejiang University International Campus was to cultivate students with international vision in combination with excellent education models in China and the West. At the same time, she mentioned that today is the second anniversary of the full opening of the international campus. It's more meaningful for all the guests to gather at the International Campus on this special day.
Deputy Mayor of Haining government Shen Qinli introduced the development background of Haining City and the close connection with Zhejiang University in her speech. She said that Haining is now the pioneer of Sino foreign cooperation, and Haining is developing into an international high-quality city.
Director of Education in China of British Council Wu Yuanyuan said Chinese and British transnational education has achieved excellent results and is still growing. The Alliance supports UK and Chinese institutions in delivering high quality TNE programmes, producing future leaders and taking bilateral relations forward.
After that, special guests made keynote speeches. Vice Dean of School of Education of Zhejiang University and Director of APEID contact center of UNESCO Zhejiang University professor Yue Kan, delivered a wonderful keynote speech entitled "Opportunities and challenges of Chinese foreign cooperation in running schools in the context of China's education modernization 2035".
Deputy Director of Academic Exchange and Research Department of CEAIE Tang Zhenfu conducted policy experience exchange and interpretation on the policy and method, annual report and exit mechanism of the Ministry of Education's on-site evaluation of Chinese foreign cooperative education in 2019. His incisive and in-depth interpretation brought many thoughts to participants.
In view of the development and challenges of Sino- British cooperation in running schools, Director of Global Education Research of BC John McNamara shared his thoughts on how the Sino- British cooperation in running schools can promote the construction of world-class universities and disciplines and play a positive role. His vivid speech gave the audience a deeper understanding of the positioning and role of the Sino- British cooperative schools.
After a tea break, members of the alliance had a thematic discussion on the common topics of concern. Executive Dean of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute Prof. Sue Welburn, and Vice President of Northeast University of Finance and Economics Prof. Yanzhi Zhao co-chaired the meeting. The participants focused on the quality assurance mechanism of cooperative education and the practice and challenges of daily management, education and teaching, and international scientific research cooperation, had a multi-faceted discussion, and actively made suggestions based on the experience of all parties.
The afternoon meeting focused on student experience, alliance management and work planning. Four student teams (Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Surrey International Institute, DUFE, Hebei University-University of Central Lancashire School of Media, Communication and Creative Industries, Glasgow College of University of Electronic Science and Technology China) which participated in UK-China Joint Institute Alliance Student Leadership Programme (Forum) presented their achievements and initiatives to all members of the annual meeting. As people with direct experience of the Sino- British cooperative education mode, students' discussions and initiatives are of great significance, and also show the international style of students under the Sino- British cooperative education.
Next, under the chairmanship of Yuanyuan Wu, the representatives at the meeting reviewed and looked forward to the development of Sino- British cooperation in running schools, discussed the operation mechanism and management principles of the alliance in the next two years, and agreed on the next annual meeting of the alliance. Finally, four proposals of the alliance cooperation project were explained and discussed. The four proposals focus on improving the management, education and teaching of Sino- British cooperative schools, and provide ideas for the next development of the alliance.
After a day of intense and substantial discussion, the 2019 UK-China Joint Institute Alliance Annual General Meeting was successfully concluded with applause. All Chinese and British cooperative institutes have shown their outstanding achievements in running schools, discussed their future running directions and cooperative communication mechanisms, and demonstrated their enthusiasm for continuous efforts and dedication to education. We look forward to the bright future of China- UK cooperation in running schools.
