New international education partnership signed
Australian and Chinese students will benefit from a new international education partnership, with the signing today of an agreement to boost research, student exchange and training collaboration between the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and Shanghai University.
The Key Technology Partnership agreement between the two universities was witnessed today by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, in Shanghai.
The partnership focuses on cross-border collaboration, research and training, which will include enhancing research networks, quality and funding opportunities, staff and student international exchanges and joint centres of excellence.
Australia’s partnership in this field with China goes back to 1980 when China became one of the first countries to sign a Science and Technology treaty with Australia.
Welcoming the agreement, Senator Evans said it is yet another example of Australia’s growing links with the world-leading Chinese science and research sector.
“We are now seeing the emergence of the next stage of Australia’s international engagement that will bring closer links and collaboration with leading international research and innovation centres,” Senator Evans said.
“It is clear that Australia and China are well down the path of bringing to fruition the advantages of closer cooperation and exchange that will be of great benefit to both countries.
“Our university sector is a major driver of strategic cooperation with China and I congratulate UTS and Shanghai University for their innovative approach in this area.”
The signing of the agreement was also welcomed by Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr.
“We recently celebrated the strength of the relations between our countries at the Australia-China Science and Technology Week at the Shanghai World Expo. This agreement further symbolises the strong, dynamic, mutually beneficial science and research partnership between our countries,” Senator Carr said.
“China is now the third most prolific partner country in Australian scientific publications, up from eighth just a decade ago. Collaborations of this kind offer immense benefits in areas as diverse as medicine, environmental science and nanotechnology.”
As part of the ceremony, a dual-degree PhD scholarship agreement was also signed. This will create cross-border research collaboration and supervision of the work of Australian and Chinese PhD students who, when they finish, will receive PhDs from both universities.
Senator Evans said UTS’s partnership with Shanghai University is part of its program of Key Technology Partnership agreements, with four partnerships with universities in China and 15 in total world-wide to date.
Senator Carr added that scientific collaboration and engagement is the way of the future and promises greater productivity, greater prosperity, more jobs and better quality of life for all Australian workers and their families.
Shanghai University is a key comprehensive university administered by the Shanghai Municipal Government. The University has been a strategic educational partner for UTS since 1994.
This is the longest standing and most successful China-Australia joint higher education partnership. The joint program has more than 3500 students enrolled.
Media contacts:
Senator Evans: Karen Brown 0413 080 956
Rhys Davies 0411 138 572
Senator Carr: Sheena Ireland 0427 092 100