Sydney, May 11 (Xinhua) - Vice President Liu Mian of the University of Technology Sydney stated in an interview in Sydney on the 10th that the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (referred to as SUIBE) established through a collaboration between the University of Technology Sydney and Shanghai University is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Over the past 30 years, the college has achieved significant success in Sino-Australian educational cooperation, exchanges, and talent development.
Liu Mian pointed out that the close cooperation between the University of Technology Sydney and Shanghai University at SUIBE over the past 30 years has been highly praised by the education departments of both countries. It is considered a large-scale and long-standing high-quality cooperative institution in the field of higher education cooperation between the two countries. The two universities have jointly cultivated over 20,000 international business talents with a global perspective, making outstanding contributions to internationalized teaching, research innovation, and industry cooperation.
Regarding the achievements in educational exchanges and cooperation between New South Wales (referred to as NSW) in Australia and various provinces and cities in China in recent years, Liu Mian believes that the increased exchanges at all levels have deepened mutual beneficial cooperation in Sino-Australian educational exchanges. In August 2023, Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng led a delegation to visit Australia, met with Australian Minister of Education Claire in Sydney, held a roundtable forum with 15 university presidents from Australia, and visited universities such as the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney.
Furthermore, several domestic universities in China, including Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Science and Technology of China, Wuhan University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, have visited Australia, while universities such as the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Sydney, and the University of New South Wales in NSW have visited China multiple times. Both sides have further deepened cooperation in areas such as faculty and student exchanges, talent development, cooperative education, and joint scientific research, expanding the paths of cooperation.
Liu Mian stated that the number of student exchanges between the two sides is increasing and is expected to gradually return to pre-pandemic levels. According to statistics from the Australian Federal Department of Education as of October 2023, there are over 80,000 Chinese students (including those from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) studying in NSW, representing a growth of over 6% from the total number in 2022. The number of Chinese students in NSW accounts for nearly one-third of the total international student population, making China the largest source of international students in NSW for several consecutive years.
Liu Mian emphasized that Chinese language education has become an important carrier of cultural exchanges between Australia and China. According to statistics from the NSW Department of Education, there are a total of 124 Chinese community language schools in NSW, accounting for approximately 22% of all community language schools. Major universities in NSW offer Chinese language courses.
Liu Mian stressed that the future development of SUIBE will continue to focus on cultivating business talents with a global perspective and comprehensive development to serve the economic development of China, Australia, and the world through applied business research.
Moreover, since 2020, the University of Technology Sydney has jointly established the University of Technology Sydney Northeastern Academy of Intelligent Technology with Northeastern University in China, located in Qinhuangdao. The academy's courses focus on communication engineering, computer science, and statistics, with nearly 1,200 students currently enrolled and the first batch of graduates soon to come. This collaboration promotes academic exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in cutting-edge fields, driving the sharing and application of cross-border teaching achievements.
In Liu Mian's view, higher education is an important part of cultural exchanges between Australia and China and a crucial area of cooperation between the two countries. Students from both sides have the opportunity to study in different educational systems, interact with diverse populations, experience multiculturalism, and broaden their understanding of the world, thereby enhancing their abilities through firsthand experiences. These exchanges will deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the people of both countries, further promoting the development of friendly relations between Australia and China. (End)
