A truly international partnership between higher education institutions in Australia and China will be formally signed at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Friday 19 February.

 

A senior delegation from Dali University in southern China will visit CSU in Wagga Wagga, NSW tomorrow to sign the new agreements covering a Dual Degree, Staff Exchange and Research Collaboration.

 

Students will undertake three years of study at Dali University and the final year of their Bachelor of Information Technology majoring in software design and development at CSU in Bathurst, enabling them to gain degrees from the two universities. Under the new agreements Chinese students will be able to complete the final year of their degree in Australia

 

CSU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, said “Approximately 50 students from Dali University have so far registered their interest in coming to Charles Sturt University in Bathurst in July 2011.”

 

“This agreement, which enables the awarding of two degrees, is a true partnership and represents the future of internationalisation of higher education.”

 

Two Chinese academics will visit CSU under the Staff Exchange and Research Collaboration Agreement. They will accompany a Dali University study group of up to 20 students.

 

“Work on establishing the new agreements between Charles Sturt University and Dali University has been three years in the making,” said Professor Goulter.

 

A Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by the two institutions in 2007, has progressed to an Articulation Agreement in May 2008. Last year, CSU hosted two Dali University academics for six months. The Director of International Affairs at Dali University, Professor Ming Liu, spent time on three different campuses last December.”

 

 “I look forward to meeting the delegation in Wagga Wagga, as previous visits from Dali University staff have mainly been to Bathurst,” Professor Goulter said.

 

Through its Office of International Relations, Charles Sturt University has more than 70 partnerships in more than 25 countries that facilitate research, course delivery, cultural exchange, and student and staff exchange.