July 2017
ATTENTION: CHIEF REPORTERS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
A delegation of Senior management officials from Hubei University of Education in China is visiting Invercargill,
Queenstown and Christchurch. A special relationship with Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) has prompted the visit
and the delegates have come to New Zealand to help strengthen this relationship, while also looking into areas that can
be developed within the cooperation they enjoy with SIT.
For the last 8 years SIT and Hubei University of Education (HUE) have had an agreement which allows students from HUE to
complete a year of English study as well as a Diploma in Hotel Tourism Management at the University in China, then being
offered the opportunity to come to New Zealand and study the Bachelor of Hotel Management at SIT. SIT has so far had
close to 140 students go through this programme offshore and is now looking at replicating this in the IT area.
The delegates visiting included Hubei University of Education Vice President Huang Song, Directors Le Sanming, Tian
Hengping and Liu Ruguo, as well as the Deans of the College of Computing, Yang Li and College of Art, Shao Xiaomeng.
Their visit included an official powhiri led by SIT Kaumatua Michael Skerrett and attended by the Chief Executive Penny
Simmonds as well as the Senior Management team, tours of Invercargill and Queenstown SIT campuses as well as a meeting
with the Deputy Consul General, Mr Gong Chunsen from the Chinese Consulate in Christchurch and Invercargill Mayor Tim
Shadbolt. The meeting with His Worship Mayor Tim Shadbolt was to advocate for a Friendly City relationship between
Invercargill and Wuhan city in China.
The delegation will be departing on Wednesday 5 July after being entertained in Queenstown with a trip up the Gondola,
lunch and sightseeing activities. We hope to continue to develop SIT’s relationship with Hubei University of Education
and be able to offer students a meaningful experience and fantastic education here at SIT.
ENDS.