Update on NUIST-University of Reading Academy
Friday, 23 November 2018
Strategic partnerships will play an increasingly important role in the University’s future, as acting Vice-Chancellor Robert Van de Noort highlighted in his briefing session this month.
One of the best established of these partnerships is the Nanjing University of Information, Science and Technology (NUIST)-University of Reading Academy. Colleagues were updated on the developments in a presentation by Dominik Zaum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), with support from Roger Gibbard (Teaching & Learning Dean), Daguo Li (Deputy Dean, NUIST-Reading Academy), Martin McCarthy (International Partnerships Manager, China & East Asia) and Doug Saddy (Director of International Research Engagement).
The relationship started in 2009 and developed considerably in 2015 with the establishment of the NUIST Reading Academy, approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Another significant milestone was reached this year as students enrolling in the Academy are now Reading students from their first day. This allows them to use Reading curricula, materials, assessment and quality assurance procedures from the beginning of their degrees. This also prepares them better for their eventual arrival in their final year (2021) in Reading.
The University is keen to expand on this relationship by adding new undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. There are other opportunities to explore, including a new China Summer School in Nanjing for UK-based students, increased outward student mobility and the development of research partnerships. If you are interested in partnering as a school please contact Daguo Li.
In April 2018 the NUIST-UoR international Research Institute was established to develop transnational research collaborations or support existing ones. A NUIST Reading Pump Priming Fund has been launched this November which is a joint seed fund of £100,000 for the next two academic years. Its purpose is to establish research relationships that could spawn future joint funding applications and, ultimately, jointly supervised postgraduate research. If you’d like to explore a research collaboration please contact Doug Saddy.
The Academy is looking for subject teachers in all its current areas: English for Academic Purposes, Chemistry, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Law, Mathematics and Meteorology. If you know of PhD students or post-doctoral colleagues who might be interested in developing their career in China please have them contact Martin McCarthy for further details.