Scottish academic institutions strengthen education and training business in China
Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s Minister for External Affairs and International Development and Anne MacColl, chief executive, Scottish Development International, have visited one of China’s fastest growing regions to support new education and training initiatives by University of Glasgow and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Elmwood Golf International.
During the visit, Mr Yousaf and Ms MacColl witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement between University of Glasgow and University of Electronic Science & Technology China (UESTC) to support a joint engineering programme. In addition they attended the launch of the Elmwood International Golf Education Alliance, the latest development of SRUC’s business in China.
Mr Yousaf said:
“Scotland is famed for its golf industry and our expertise in education and engineering are also internationally renowned. These announcements will provide Chinese students with practical skills and qualifications and position Scotland as world-class education, training and research.
Mr Yousaf witnessed the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between University of Glasgow and UESTC, which will see up to 90 excellence scholarships offered to Chinese students to encourage recruitment of exceptionally talented school graduates into its first joint degree programme. An additional 10 scholarships will be reserved for student victims of the Sichuan earthquake which claimed nearly 200 lives earlier this year.
The University of Glasgow-UESTC operate a joint school in Chengdu, to stimulate research collaborations and student mobility. The school will begin its first qualification, a BEng (Honours) in Electronic and Electrical and Engineering programme in September with annual entry expected to top 200 students.
Professor John Chapman, Head of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow who signed the agreement with Professor Houjun Wang, Vice President of UESTC, said: “This latest agreement further strengthens our partnership and demonstrates our commitment to working together to offer students a world-class education experience.
“Attracting the brightest and best students is our aim and the scholarships we have agreed to offer will help us do that.
“We are also acutely aware of the devastating impact of the recent earthquake in Sichuan so we felt that specific scholarships to help students affected by this tragedy would be beneficial.”
In Shenzhen, the Minister also launched the SRUC Golf Education Alliance, which aims to further the exchange of training and expertise in golf education with China. Elmwood’s latest initiative in China gives it access to 3,000 students across the 15 Chinese universities which have signed up to the alliance, significantly strengthening its ability to develop business from China’s rapidly expanding golf industry.
Elmwood has trained over 700 Chinese lecturers and golf professionals over the past 13 years and more than 120 Chinese students have studied at the Elmwood campus in Scotland, going on to secure senior golfing positions in China on their return.
The new alliance will ensure ongoing student intake into its two teaching centres in the Hainan and Yunann Provinces and is expected to recruit up to 200 students its first year. Students will receive an international qualification based around the principals and practices of golf business and course management from the home of golf in St Andrews.
Carol Borthwick, Academic Development Manager for Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and Chair of the China International Golf Education Alliance was joined by David James, Assistant Principal of SRUC, at the launch.
Carol commented: “This is a highly significant development for SRUC Elmwood Campus as it takes a hugely successful collaboration with the China Golf Industry over the past 12 years forward through the newly developed Alliance into full time training supporting the increasingly important China Golf Industry ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where golf will join the games for the first time.”
The visit to Shenzhen is part of a wider programme by the Minister and Ms MacColl, where they will undertake a series of diplomatic, cultural, business, educational and trade engagements in Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Welcoming the announcements Anne MacColl, chief executive of Scottish Development International said: “The Scottish education sector has a long standing relationship with Chinese universities and companies with all of our 19 higher education institutions, including 15 universities, actively engaged here.
“Today’s announcements have both been strongly supported by Scottish Government and Scottish Development International and are indicative of our continued strategic engagement with China’s government, academic and business community to facilitate bilateral trade between our two countries.”