Hosting helps develop pathways for Chinese students

Hosting helps develop pathways for Chinese students

Lincoln University is hosting a rising research star from China’s Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) for a year to learn about'western style' research-led teaching and develop pathways between the universities.

Professor Helen Peifen Zhuang’s is the Associate Dean of the College of Economics at FAFU and also the deputy secretary-general of the Fujian Foreign Economic and Trade Association.

She has published over 50 papers and more than 10 books.

Her time at Lincoln will build upon a series of commercial relationships with tertiary institutions and businesses in China.

She is here to establish deeper linkages and mechanisms with Lincoln.

Business Development Manager Dr Sam Yu says this will allow her students to have opportunities for 'Study Abroad' exchanges, and help develop conjoint and articulation pathway programmes with Lincoln for Chinese students.

“Having opportunities for both staff and students to experience a ‘western style’ of learning is an important point of difference for New Zealand, and especially for Lincoln, a very hands-on and applied University.

As China grows in its own right as an education destination it is also seeking greater reciprocity and more in-country provision in its foreign partnerships,” Dr Yu says.

He says New Zealand educational providers have a window of opportunity to develop and deliver New Zealand qualifications in-market in China through strategic partnerships.

As such, Lincoln is building its relationships with institutions in China from visits and activities from its senior management. Last year Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Business Development Jeremy Baker and Lincoln’s Director for Greater China Mr Jeff Sun visited Fuzhou and strengthened ties with institutes such as FAFU.

“Being able to package this type of educational experience, and sharing that with Chinese partners and creating joint packages with our partners is becoming more and more important to create scale and deeper understanding. It also offers a dual purpose of bringing more student exchanges and trade, between the two countries,” Dr Yu says.

This kind of activity builds upon a series of commercial relationships already established with tertiary institutions and businesses across China; including the MOU signed in November last year with Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, one of the largest dairy companies in China, betweenYili Chairman, Pan Gang, and the Vice-Chancellor of Lincoln University, Dr Andrew West, in the presence of President Xi Jinping of China and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Dr Zhuang is hosted by Professor Christopher Gan in the Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce, as they share expertise and specialisations in development economics and rural finance in Asian markets.

Particularly of interest for collaboration are the topics of agricultural trade and agricultural foreign direct investment.

Professor Gan supervises more than 25 postgraduate students and was the recipient of the Lincoln University Excellence in Postgraduate Teaching Award last year 2014.

“Professor Gan is an excellent collaborator to provide an insight about 'western style' research-led teaching from New Zealand and his expertise in finance of developing economies is a key area for places like China,” Dr Yu says.

According to Education New Zealand, approximately 55,000 students are currently enrolled in joint programmes, and China approved around 120 joint programmes in 2014.

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