Professor Dominic Houlihan, Vice Principal Internationalisation at the University of Aberdeen, attended the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Nanhai campus of South China Normal University, Guangzhou, on Saturday, 10th December, 2011.
Guangzhou city has undergone remarkable changes as a result of the Asian games in 2012 and the city centre is now one of the most beautiful cityscapes in China.
Dominic Houlihan visited the campus soon after it was opened in 2001 and discussed then constructing an agreement between the two universities for a 2 + 2 arrangement where SCNU students spent two years in China and two years in Aberdeen.
That agreement was signed in 2007 and since then many SCNU students have visited Aberdeen, principally to study business degrees.
In addition many staff have taught at SCNU to prepare the students for their transition to Aberdeen. Dr Harminder Battu, Dr Mark Whittington, Dr Barbara Fennell and Dr Julian Randall have all visited SCNU and taught there.
“We have signed a further three agreements with SCNU leadership since 2007 which cover student exchanges and opportunities in education training,” commented Professor Houlihan.
“We have had a two year research and development project funded by the British Council, and a jointly developed full time MEd degree, which the first cohort of students from SCNU are currently studying very successfully in the School of Education in Aberdeen.
“We are very proud of the leadership exchange programme which has seen school principals from across Guangdong visiting Aberdeen.
“We expect that many more students from SCNU will study Postgraduate Taught programmes in the School of Education in Aberdeen over the next few years.
“We are developing an Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Learning Masters programme.
“A delegation led by Ms Wang Zuodan, Dean of the Entrepreneurship School of SCNU will visit Aberdeen in April 2012 and we will be very pleased to welcome the SCNU Vice President for International when he and a delegation visit Aberdeen in September 2012.”
There were further discussions on expanding the growing relationship and renewing the agreements next year after five years.
The University of Aberdeen counts SCNU as one of its best friends in China.
ENDS
Issued by the Communication Team, Office of External Affairs, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Regent Walk. Contact: Shaugnah Kirby. Tel: 01224 272014.
REF: 333Guangzhou
December 13, 2011