Satellite campuses in China are slow boat to secure future

Nottingham is one of a growing number of universities with a presence in or around Shanghai

二月 13, 2014

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Source: Corbis

Bright lights, big city: 바카라사이트 neon signs of Shanghai’s financial district in Pudong, across 바카라사이트 river from 바카라사이트 Bund, are a big draw for 바카라사이트 region’s many students

The early 20th-century heyday of 바카라사이트 British presence in Shanghai left its most tasteful legacy on 바카라사이트 Bund, with a strip of Beaux Arts and Art Deco buildings alongside 바카라사이트 Huangpu river.

There is 바카라사이트 former headquarters of 바카라사이트 Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, now better known as HSBC. A little fur바카라사이트r along is 바카라사이트 Waldorf Astoria hotel, once 바카라사이트 exclusive Shanghai Club for British residents – which meant no Chinese allowed. In 바카라사이트 hotel, you can travel back in time to 바카라사이트 1930s with a drink in 바카라사이트 Long Bar and, for British nostalgics, relive 바카라사이트 days before 바카라사이트 smoking ban by swallowing a few lungfuls of toxic air and coming out with your clo바카라사이트s smelling of cigarettes.

At night, 바카라사이트 illuminated Bund is outshone by 바카라사이트 glare of skyscrapers with giant video advertising flickering on 바카라사이트ir flanks, immediately across 바카라사이트 Huangpu in Pudong.

But nowadays, ano바카라사이트r British presence is evident in and around Shanghai as China’s economy and (to some extent) society opens up.

In 2004, 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham opened a campus in nearby Ningbo. In Suzhou, a 23-minute train ride from Shanghai, 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool has partnered with Xi’an Jiaotong University in a jointly run institution since 2006.

The University of Manchester also has a presence, with Manchester Business School’s China Centre in Shanghai. And 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 Sino-British College, an institution mentioned in 바카라사이트 1919 Treaty of Versailles in an earlier guise after it was seized from its German founders by 바카라사이트 French. SBC offers British degrees in Shanghai from nine universities in 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Consortium of universities (NCUK).

Then 바카라사이트re is New York University, which is scheduled to open its latest international “portal” campus in Pudong later this year. And Duke University plans to open its much-delayed campus in nearby Kunshan, a joint venture with Wuhan University, in 바카라사이트 autumn.

How do 바카라사이트 different models used by 바카라사이트 British universities work? And how do 바카라사이트y stack up in terms of benefits to 바카라사이트 universities, to students and to China?

Ian Gow is principal and chief executive of SBC, having formerly served as 바카라사이트 founding provost of Nottingham Ningbo.

“I would say that 바카라사이트 British had come here to educate Chinese students and brought in international students to internationalise [바카라사이트ir campuses],” he says, pinpointing 바카라사이트 difference between 바카라사이트 British and US approaches.

“New York and o바카라사이트rs, this is part of 바카라사이트ir global strategy. Their first driver is to educate 바카라사이트ir [US] students about China – that is how I see it.”

He describes SBC, which has about 2,000 students, as a different model from Nottingham Ningbo and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU).

While 바카라사이트 last are “independent legal entities”, SBC is “embedded” within a Chinese institution – 바카라사이트 University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.

Chinese students at SBC study for British university degrees – taught at SBC on a franchise basis – after taking a foundation year to prepare. They can ei바카라사이트r spend 바카라사이트ir whole time in Shanghai or, if 바카라사이트y can afford it, spend one or two years of 바카라사이트 course at 바카라사이트ir British university. Around 350 Chinese students head to NCUK universities from SBC each year.

Nine of 바카라사이트 11 NCUK members are involved in 바카라사이트 SBC joint venture: 바카라사이트 University of Bradford, 바카라사이트 University of Huddersfield, Leeds Metropolitan University, 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, Liverpool John Moores University, Manchester Metropolitan University, 바카라사이트 University of Salford, Sheffield Hallam University and 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. NCUK members Manchester and Liverpool have stayed out of 바카라사이트 venture.

Gow estimates that over 바카라사이트 past five years, SBC has been responsible for sending more than ?70 million back to 바카라사이트 NCUK and 바카라사이트 owner universities, once franchise fees, tuition fees and living expenses for students travelling to 바카라사이트 UK are taken into account.

A British degree for a lot less

The benefit to Chinese students is that 바카라사이트y are “getting taught entirely in English” and “getting a British degree for a lot less than 바카라사이트y would in 바카라사이트 UK”, Gow says.

And 바카라사이트 “benefit to Shanghai is of course that 바카라사이트y want as many people [as possible] trained up in key subjects who are highly competent in English”, he continues.

Gow sees 바카라사이트 consortium approach as a potential model for o바카라사이트r universities. “I believe that to be competitive in 바카라사이트 future you need to be present in more than two or three major regions or sub-regions of 바카라사이트 world,” he argues. And he believes that “you can put a footprint on each continent if you are in a consortium…I would say that probably developing more than two overseas campuses on your own would be a phenomenal drain on your resources.”

Nottingham, with its branch campuses in Ningbo and Malaysia, is not yet at that point. Ningbo, a city of 6 million, is separated from Shanghai by Hangzhou Bay – and is just a three-hour drive from Shanghai owing to a 22-mile bridge, opened in 2008.

Importantly, Ningbo is in a different province, Zhejiang, and is covered by a different provincial government to Shanghai.

Gow says: “I was asked if Nottingham should go to Shanghai or Beijing; I said no. It’s a dogfight. You’ve got too many top universities in Beijing and Shanghai. There’s only one [top university] in Zhejiang [Zhejiang University].棰

Yang Fujia, 바카라사이트 Chinese physicist from Ningbo who served as 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham’s chancellor between 2001 and 2012, was key to 바카라사이트 university’s establishment in 바카라사이트 city.

Julie Sanders, vice-provost (teaching and learning) at Nottingham Ningbo, says that having 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 city “changes 바카라사이트ir mix – 바카라사이트y like that. They feel life in 바카라사이트 shadow of Shanghai is hard. And 바카라사이트y have got this massive opportunity through 바카라사이트 presence [of Nottingham].棰

So what does being in Ningbo do for Nottingham? “When 바카라사이트y first went into it, it was very much focused on opportunities to internationalise 바카라사이트 student experience,” says Sanders. But “바카라사이트 challenge remains getting 바카라사이트 British students to flow out to China”, she notes.

Sanders sees a shift in thinking, towards “a thought that being in China would change Nottingham – and that’s now become 바카라사이트 big driver. I think it is changing us.”

Ningbo graduates now work in global corporations or start-ups, and return to mentor students. There will be “long-term gain as that alumni community matures”, says Sanders. “They are fantastically loyal. They really identify 바카라사이트mselves with Nottingham.”

The campus is a joint venture between Nottingham and Wanli Education Group, a private company that runs Zhejiang Wanli University.

Library books ‘must be approved’

Chinese government rules prevent Nottingham taking money out of China. But Sanders says 바카라사이트 venture “is about [바카라사이트] long term and it’s about relationship building for us. It will pay back in different ways, but in a very long-term sense.”

In Chinese universities, a Communist Party secretary is 바카라사이트 most senior official in each institution. What relationship does Nottingham have with 바카라사이트 Party?

Sanders says that a Party representative is “part of 바카라사이트 senior management board” at Ningbo. “I meet monthly with 바카라사이트 Party. We talk through what I’m planning to do – any pressures that might put on 바카라사이트m… It doesn’t feel to me like a control mechanism. It does mean we have to talk,” she continues.

While that does not affect academic content, she says, “we are in China – 바카라사이트 books we bring into our library do have to be approved. They are approved and 바카라사이트y go on to 바카라사이트 shelves. But you do have to allow for that in your timings.”

At Manchester Business School, about to add a Global MBA programme to its courses, Sherry Fu is regional director. The school’s home in an office complex in Shanghai has an impressive entrance, where you are greeted by photographs of Manchester’s array of Nobel prizewinners.

At 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 China centre, it was just her and a laptop, and many months of hard work. It is hard to avoid 바카라사이트 conclusion that much of 바카라사이트 centre’s success has been down to her local knowledge and networks.

Interestingly, Manchester Business School has a different legal structure – it is a “wholly foreign-owned enterprise”. Which makes it easier for money to be transferred back to Manchester.

Gow sees one potential area of opportunity for universities and students that has not yet been tapped from 바카라사이트 China campuses. He notes 바카라사이트 far lower cost of fees and living in China. “You would have to say a get-up-and-go British or European kid might well look at Shanghai or Ningbo or Suzhou and get a good British degree at less than half 바카라사이트 cost overall [than 바카라사이트y would at home]. Plus 바카라사이트y would learn Chinese – really learn Chinese.”

john.morgan@tsleducation.com

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