Visit to Universities in Australia and New Zealand by USST Delegation

Lately, Vice President Zhang Hua led a delegation to universities in Australia and New Zealand including Victoria University of Wellington, Edith Cowan University, and Western Sydney University.
In New Zealand, the delegation paid a visit to Victoria University of Wellington. Vice President Rebecca Needham in charge of international affairs of the university met the delegation. Both sides reached a consensus on the signing of the memorandum of understanding and had detailed talks in student exchange programs (double degree program for undergraduates, double degree program for masters, summer and winter exchange program), teacher exchange program, teacher-student shared community research program, and the joint establishment of New Zealand research center. Roger Armstrong, head of the department of international affairs of the university, showed the delegation around teaching facilities, the art museum and the student activity center at Victoria University of Wellington.

In Australia, the delegation first paid a visit to Edith Cowan University and had close talks with President Steve Chapman and Vice President Wang Wei of the university. They signed the Memorandum of Understanding on scientific collaboration. Afterwards, they chatted with representatives of graduate school, college of literature and arts focusing on the specific implementation forms and measures of scientific research collaboration. They all expected to carry out deeper collaboration in the application for China Scholarship Program, Australian literature and art studies, joint cultivation of Ph.Ds. At the same time, the delegation also visited the center for broadcasting teaching practice, art design center and other teaching facilities of the university. USST has established a collaborative relationship with Edith Cowan University for more than 20 years and the two universities jointly organized the 5th Australian Cultural Weeks and signed the agreement on joint cultivation of Ph.Ds in the first half of this year. Then the delegation visited Western Sydney University. Professor Peter Hutching, academic director and dean of the College of Humanities of the university met the delegation. Both sides had talks in a double degree program of EST (English for Science and Technology), bachelor’s/master’s Degree Program, shared faculty community research program, cultural translation cooperation between both universities and reached a cooperation intention in these programs. Established in 1989, Western Sydney University owns the widest school network. Western Sydney University ranks among the top 2% and enjoys worldwide popularity in translation courses. The delegation paid a final visit to the library, college of education, college of literature and arts and some teaching buildings in the university.

During an 8-day tour, to promote collaboration with universities in New Zealand and Australia, the delegation strengthened ties with collaborative universities. They expected to expand scientific research collaboration in humanities with two-way exchanges.