In 2003, a training programme for university leaders at and above Vice-President level in China was initiated and funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA). The vast majority of the delegates were from universities within the jurisdiction of the MOE, 985 or 211 universities from all over China. The British Council has been working with two partners, the National Academy of Education Administration (NAEA) and the China International Talent Exchange Foundation of State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (CITEF of SAFEA) to deliver training programmes in the UK. In October and November 2011, the CITEF and NAEA university presidents’ overseas training will take place in the UK on such themes as research and knowledge transfer, university governance and student management. The British Council is providing professional advice and assistance in making contact with potential training providers.

As well as this initiative, the British Council, in partnership with University of York, UK Higher Education International Unit, also hosted the Sino-UK Higher Education Forum with university leaders from both countries as participants at University of York on 25 October 2011. The forum’s theme was Partnership that higher education sectors from both countries were both concerned about. In details the theme covered the three main topics including opportunities and challenges in institutional partnership, new approaches and ways of partnership, partnership engaged with business sector.

Six speakers from both China and the UK addressed the topics and had extensive discussions with over seventy forum participants. On the UK side, most of the participants were universities’ Pro Vice Chancellors and senior managers responsible for international development. On the Chinese side, all the twenty six participants are universities’ presidents, vice presidents and higher education practitioners who were then undertaking their three-week training in the UK organized by China’s State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. The forum at the University of York remained important on their training agenda, which provided a platform for them to exchange their thoughts and ideas with their UK counterparts during panel discussions and networking opportunities.

Please click here for the programme of the forum.