Ara | Te Pūkenga secures expanded ICT and construction offering in China
“Exciting opportunity” among the few to be approved by Ministry of Education in China globally in current round.
Approval for the joint institute was marked at a recent meeting across continents.
China’s Ministry of Education has approved a joint institute with Ara | Te Pūkenga and Shenyang Jianzhu University (SJU) in Liaoning province, China, to co-deliver degree-level qualifications in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Construction.
"This is a really exciting opportunity for us to share our unique offering with Chinese students and supports our International Education Strategy," said Andrew McSweeney, Pourangi Ākonga me te Ahumahi | DCE Learner and Employer Experience and Attraction.
"Te Pūkenga has the size, scale, skills and expertise to deliver world-class applied and vocational higher education and training to international ākonga (learners) both onshore and offshore and I’m delighted that we’ve secured this partnership."
"We’re about much more than bringing international ākonga to Aotearoa New Zealand to study. We’re creating truly global citizens - with the future-focused knowledge, skills and cultural competence they will need to succeed anywhere in the world."
A plaque was unveiled to mark the Chinese Ministry of Education approval for the joint venture at a recent meeting held at SJU which will be displayed on campus.
The meeting, which also discussed development of the joint curriculum and recruitment of students, was attended in person by Andy Ge, Market Sector Manager for China, who acted as translator for Ara staff in Ōtautahi. They included General Manager Darren Mitchell, Director of International Services Beth Knowles, Heads of Departments Hazel Barrer and Robert de Roo, Principal Academic Staff Member Dr David Weir, and Engineering and Architecture Manager of Construction Kam Cheng.
"Previously there were only five other approved joint institutes with New Zealand providers in China, including EIT | Te Pūkenga, and three New Zealand universities, and this is the first for the Liaoning Province," Ara | Te Pūkenga General Manager Darren Mitchell said.
"SJU is ranked in the top 10% of Universities in China. This is also one of only 12 joint institutes approved globally in this round of approvals by the Ministry of Education in China. These are testament to the high regard for Ara | Te Pukenga in the China market and is the starting point for a long and mutually beneficial relationship between our educational institutions that will provide learning opportunities for students and staff."
"Those opportunities for our kaimahi include them getting to teach block courses in China at SJU with the support of in-house Chinese speaking tutors."
The joint institute will offer three undergraduate programmes: Data Science and Big Data Technology, Information Technology and Quantity Surveying.
Up to 250 ākonga will be enrolled in the programme annually with the first intake due to begin their studies in September this year.
After three years in China, they will have the option of completing their fourth and final year at Ara | Te Pūkenga.
Students who study in New Zealand for their final year will be awarded a dual New Zealand and Chinese degree; those who complete their programme of study in China will be awarded a Chinese degree only.