Ties grow with top China university

CSU signing 18 August
Flinders University’s Professor Michael Kidd, Professor Andrew Parkin and Professor Chris Franco (rear) with CSU Chancellor Professor Gao Wenbing and Professor Rob Saint at last week’s signing ceremony at Flinders, Bedford Park.

Chinese students have increased opportunities to complete Flinders’ Master of Business, thanks to an agreement between one of China’s top universities and Flinders University which will enhance several areas of existing research collaboration and create new study opportunities.

The ‘1+1 Dual Articulated Master Degree’ program, signed at Flinders’ Bedford Park Campus, strengthens the University’s existing relationship with Central South University (CSU), a top-tier institution ranked 16 out of China’s 2,000 universities.

Flinders has been a strategic international research partner of CSU’s for several years, with particularly strong research ties between CSU and Flinders’ Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Research between the two universities involves projects in areas including medical biotechnology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and neurology, and established collaborations in cancer surgery, disaster resilience and nursing.

Signing the agreement, Flinders University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Rob Saint said CSU was one of Flinders most important international partners and that the agreement would open up even more opportunities for collaboration and engagement.

“Central South University is one of China’s top ranked universities, which makes it the perfect partner institution for Flinders University, itself ranked in the world’s top 2% by Times Higher Education,” says Professor Saint.

“This agreement will create new opportunities for Flinders and CSU students to expand their horizons through study opportunities abroad, and for researchers at Flinders and CSU to make a difference through international research collaborations.

“Our relationship with CSU has continued over several years and is very strong. We are very excited to be further strengthening it with this agreement with our Business School.”

Also speaking at the signing, the Chancellor of CSU Professor Gao Wenbing said he was looking forward to further discussions about how to extend CSU’s engagement with Flinders.

“Establishing international collaborations is one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Education and we are very confident of further collaboration between CSU and Flinders University,” Professor Wenbing said.

Professor Wenbing also took the opportunity to extend 50th anniversary congratulations to Flinders – and wished the University success for the next 50.

The new signing extends an existing agreement between Flinders and CSU to facilitate Medical student exchanges, which saw its first placements in 2013.

That agreement allows each institution to send up to two students each year for student placement, for a single period of 2-3 months for clinical rotation.

Also attending the signing were:

  • Professor Sun Hong, President, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
  • Professor Bai Yi, Director of International, CSU
  • Mr Gao Dongbo, Deputy Director of International, CSU
  • Professor Andrew Parkin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Flinders University
  • Professor Michael Kidd, Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders
  • Professor Phyllis Tharenou, Executive Dean, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Flinders
  • Professor Chris Franco, Assistant Dean International, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders
  • Professor Wei Zhang, Director of the Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development at Flinders
  • Sharon Lu, Regional Manager North Asia, Flinders International Centre
  • Matt Taverner, Director – Partnerships and Student Services, Flinders University

About Central South University

Central South University (CSU) is a comprehensive university established in April 2000 after the amalgamation of the three former individual universities, namely Central South University of Technology, Hunan Medical University and Changsha Railway University.

It is among the first tier universities in China and a member of Projects 211 and 985, with strength in science engineering and medical science. It ranks 16th out of China’s 2,000 universities.

The university is situated in Changsha, Hunan Province.

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