VU Vice-Chancellor welcomes 1200 top Chinese students
Victoria University (VU) has officially inducted more than 1200 Chinese star students to its diverse student body, as they begin their VU degrees with the University’s prestigious partner institutions in China.
VU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Dawkins welcomed the newly-enrolled Chinese students at a series of celebrations last week, during visits to the University’s major China education partners: the International Education College at Henan University, the Asia-Australia Business College Joint School at Liaoning University and the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing.
He said VU’s China engagement is a key focus of the University’s strategic plan to globalise teaching, learning and research for students and staff.
"International engagement, including with China, is a key priority for VU and by 2020 the University aims to be known as a globally-focused university for, and of, the 21st Century," Professor Dawkins said.
The new intake of students with top 5% university entry marks (Tier 1 Gaokao) are studying VU courses in business and information technology under VU’s longstanding transnational education (TNE) partnerships, dating back more than 18 years in China. These partnerships also include reciprocal student mobility and collaborative research components.
VU Transnational Education Director Rhys Williams said the quality and quantity of VU’s newest offshore students places VU “in the top echelon” of Sino-Australian partnership universities: "Of this intake, it is expected that some 350 students will study part of their degree in Melbourne, deepening their valuable global education experience at a world-class university in the world’s most liveable city."
As well as welcoming the students to the VU community, Professor Dawkins was a keynote speaker at the 15th anniversary of Henan University’s International Education College, which runs a Sino-Australian undergraduate program enabling students to complete VU degrees in both Henan and Melbourne.
The week-long tour also included a visit to Hanban, the Confucius Institute Headquarters, to celebrate the work of VU’s Victoria Business Confucius Institute (VBCI), a collaboration between VU and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
Established at VU Melbourne in 2016, the VBCI’s key mission is offering a minor covering Chinese language and business culture within VU’s business degree and master courses. In addition, it offers cultural workshops and study tours for Australian entrepreneurs, and collaborates with business, government, industry, academia and community partners to foster cross-cultural understanding.
