A Douglas College delegate has joined B.C. Premier Christy Clark's trade mission to China in a bid to bring more international students to the Coquitlam and New Westminster campuses.
Guangwei Ouyang, the college's associate vice president of international, is expected to sign an agreement with Beijing Union University (BUU) Wednesday to create opportunities for BUU students to do one semester of studies at Douglas College. The agreement also allows for faculty exchanges and joint research opportunities between the two institutions, particularly in the areas of urban heritage and sustainability.
The agreement is in concert with Premier Clark's plan to increase the number of international students at B.C. colleges and universities by 50 percent over the next four years.
Also this week, Douglas College will renew its agreements with the Shanghai Administrative Institute (SAI) to provide public administration training and the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade (SIFT) to continue the bachelor of administration in finance program.
"At Douglas, internationalization is one of the pillars of our strategic plan and is part of a broader educational experience," says Scott McAlpine, president of Douglas College. "We infuse global thinking and opportunities throughout our institution, and our partnership with Beijing Union University is one manifestation of that holistic approach.
Since 1997, Douglas College has provided public administration training at SAI for more than 200 senior civil servants from the Shanghai Municipality and other government agencies. Meanwhile, SAI has sponsored 82 faculty members from Douglas College to attend its international conferences in Shanghai on various issues in public administration, governance and urban development.
Douglas College has had a joint program agreement with SIFT since 1998. Roughly 550 students are currently enrolled in the joint bachelor of administration in finance program, in Shanghai. Twenty-five professors from Douglas have taught at SIFT and 31 SIFT professors have visited Douglas for professional training.
