UCD Students to Benefit from Link with Chinese University

University College Dublin has signed a groundbreaking agreement with the Beijing University of Technology to form a ‘Beijing-Dublin International Campus,' which will give Dublin students the chance to firmly integrate themselves into Chinese culture by opening up educational and research links between the two universities.

The ‘study abroad' opportunity will begin in September, with dual degree programmes in engineering, business and science. Approximately 350 students are expected to benefit from the experience.

The Mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong, who visited Ireland last September and received the inaugural Confucius Institute Medal at UCD from the Minister of Education, Ruairí Quinn, was present at the event at City Hall in Beijing and commented on the plan's "milestone" achievement in revolutionising Chinese education. Mr Guo explained "This co-operation model is an innovation for the Beijing educational system. It's the first time to establish a co-operation between a municipal university and a foreign institution to set up a subsidiary campus."

President of UCD, Dr. Hugh Brady, stated that they planned to increase the venture to full university status in the near future. "The agreement came about very quickly," he said. "We started talking about it in August [2011] and the first students will come in September [of this] year. The twinning of the cities of Beijing and Dublin was the inspiration, and it gave us the support of the mayor." He also voiced his hope that the campus would become the home of top-quality Chinese and Irish language, culture and business students.

Ambassador of Ireland to China, Declan Kelleher, gave a speech in Chinese at the signing and declared that his assistant, Lin Zhi, was a graduate of the technology university. Professor Alan Kennan, the manager of the development of the International Campus, also attended the event.University College Dublin has signed a groundbreaking agreement with the Beijing University of Technology to form a ‘Beijing-Dublin International Campus,' which will give Dublin students the chance to firmly integrate themselves into Chinese culture by opening up educational and research links between the two universities.

The ‘study abroad' opportunity will begin in September, with dual degree programmes in engineering, business and science. Approximately 350 students are expected to benefit from the experience.

The Mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong, who visited Ireland last September and received the inaugural Confucius Institute Medal at UCD from the Minister of Education, Ruairí Quinn, was present at the event at City Hall in Beijing and commented on the plan's "milestone" achievement in revolutionising Chinese education. Mr Guo explained "This co-operation model is an innovation for the Beijing educational system. It's the first time to establish a co-operation between a municipal university and a foreign institution to set up a subsidiary campus."

President of UCD, Dr. Hugh Brady, stated that they planned to increase the venture to full university status in the near future. "The agreement came about very quickly," he said. "We started talking about it in August [2011] and the first students will come in September [of this] year. The twinning of the cities of Beijing and Dublin was the inspiration, and it gave us the support of the mayor." He also voiced his hope that the campus would become the home of top-quality Chinese and Irish language, culture and business students.

Ambassador of Ireland to China, Declan Kelleher, gave a speech in Chinese at the signing and declared that his assistant, Lin Zhi, was a graduate of the technology university. Professor Alan Kennan, the manager of the development of the International Campus, also attended the event.

16 Jan 2012

by Marése O'Sullivan