QUT has helped train nearly 1400 Chinese teachers from Jiangsu Province over the past five years, thanks to a landmark agreement which was renewed in December.
The university celebrated its links with China when it hosted the Forum of Australia-Jiangsu Higher Education Cooperation, which brought together QUT staff and a visiting delegation of senior representatives from a dozen of Jiangsu's leading universities.
QUT's Director of International Business Development, Geoff Edmondson, said the university valued its relationship with China and Jiangsu Province.
"The majority of QUT's Chinese students hail from Jiangsu Province, which is one of China's most prosperous provinces with a population of 75 million people and more than 120 higher education institutions," he said.
In 2005, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education contracted QUT to deliver English language training programs (usually of six-to-eight week duration) for Jiangsu teachers, under the auspices of the Jiangsu Australia Education Centre set up on QUT's Kelvin Grove campus.
During the December forum, QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education's Director-General, Professor Shen Jian, signed a memorandum of understanding renewing this collaborative arrangement.
Mr Edmondson said QUT had engaged in collaborative activity with institutions in Jiangsu Province for more than a decade.
"The relationship also includes an articulation agreement with Jinling Institute of Technology (JIT), which has seen more than 100 JIT students complete bachelor degrees at QUT so far," he said.
"The most recent collaboration was the establishment of the Confucius Institute, which was opened earlier this year by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.
"The Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education is QUT's Chinese partner in this enterprise and contributes some staff and other resources to the operation of the institute."
Media contact: Mechelle McMahon, QUT media officer, 07 3138 2130 or ml.mcmahon@qut.edu.au
