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ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ signs historic agreement with Tsinghua

Tuesday, 2 May 2006

The University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ has signed an agreement with the prestigious in Beijing to establish twinning programs in , and .

The Vice-Chancellor, , signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in China last week during a two-week visit to Asia.

The agreement will allow Tsinghua University students to undertake the first year of their degree in Beijing and then transfer to ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ to complete their undergraduate studies in any of the three disciplines.

An existing articulation arrangement already enables students from Tsinghua University to transfer to ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ to complete their degrees in a number of different fields.

In reciprocal fashion, some University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ students are spending a semester at Tsinghua University this year, undertaking research in a variety of fields, thanks to a agreement between the two universities.

Professor McWha says the importance of the Tsinghua-ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ link should not be under estimated, both for the University and South Australia as a whole.

"Internationalisation is not just a one-way street. We are intent on sending our students to high quality universities overseas and Tsinghua University has been tagged by the to become one of the world's elite universities," Professor McWha says. "With China shaping up as the world's leading economic powerhouse, with growth rates of up to 10%, this partnership will significantly enhance the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ's reputation and South Australia's own standing in China."

Tsinghua University has also proposed a collaborative research program with the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ. This collaboration may also open the door for in China.

Professor McWha has spent the past fortnight in Asia presiding over the University's offshore in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong and strengthening ties with other tertiary institutions in the region.

China is now the University's largest source of , numbering more than 1230 in 2005 - a massive increase of more than 300% in just three years.

"The University has many other important relationships with leading universities in China, in fields ranging from and to and , and from biotechnology and dryland farming to and ," Professor McWha says.

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