Higher Education: Britain and China

Agora and The Smith Institute

Date: 5 September 2007

Location: The Royal Society

When the emerging economic power of China is discussed, it is normally in terms of manufacturing or technology, yet many take the view that it will be the growth of education in China that will have the single biggest impact, leading to knock-on effects in all other areas. In 1999 China launched its higher education expansion project. That year it enrolled 1.6 million students - a massive 48 per cent increase on the previous year. In 2005 Chinese colleges and universities took on 5.04m students - five times as many as in 1998.

You can download the full programme of this event as a PDF by clicking here

There is roughly one Vice Chancellor of a UK university visiting Beijing or Shanghai a week at the moment to look at future partnership opportunities. Yet is there a lack of any overarching thinking about the Chinese HE market?

• What are the Chinese government's priorities for education and what implications will they have for British institutions?
• What exactly are we looking to achieve through setting up international campuses in China and is such a mission realistic?
• How does a university broker a deal of this kind?
• What are the legal, political and cultural obstacles?
• How have similar international experiments fared?
• And what of Chinese students: with provision at home improving, and other countries raising their game can we continue to rely on them coming to the UK?
• How do we enhance the brand profile of UK HE and improve the experience of Chinese students coming to Britain?

Our speakers at this event include:

Professor Jiaan Cheng, former Vice President Zhejiang University
Professor Hu Zhengrong, Vice President Communication University of China
Professor Sir Colin Campbell, Vice Chancellor the University of Nottingham
Martin Davidson Director General British Council
Andrew Halper Partner and China expert, Eversheds
Professor Michael Shattock, Professor HE Management Institute of Education
Professor Drummond Bone, Vice Chancellor Liverpool University

The event will take place from 930am-430pm at The Royal Society in London. Attendance will be by invitation only and places will be limited. However, if you would like to express an interest in this event please email afazackerley@agora-education.org.