More than 500 Flinders students are today celebrating their graduation with postgraduate degrees in China as part of a unique international alliance with Nankai University.
The Flinders-Nankai partnership has given students in China the opportunity to undertake three different Flinders degree programs in the crucial areas of diplomacy, education and health. These include the Master of Arts (International Relations in Economy and Trade), Master of Educational Leadership and Management and the Master of Hospital Administration.
“Since the Flinders-Nankai partnership was established in 2000, some 4,500 Chinese students have graduated from our programs in Nankai and it is my aim to assist our teaching staff to grow this number even further,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling says.
“Our offshore program allows us to expand our alumni community internationally and increase our global reach and impact in innovation and entrepreneurship.
“The real-world significance of our degree programs in China was never better demonstrated than when the China Australia Free-Trade Agreement was signed in 2015.
“At that time our Flinders-Nankai students immediately began to work on ways for importers, exporters and investors to capitalise on the new trade and investment rules.
“This was a fantastic example of genuine applied learning in an international context.
“We attribute the success of our degree programs in Nankai to the fact that they focus on shared interests between Australia and China, particularly in respect to social and economic priorities,” Professor Stirling says.
The 17-year partnership with Nankai University is one of Flinders University’s most durable and important overseas relationships. Flinders hopes to secure future collaborations with China in a number of research areas, and recently signed an agreement with the Shandong Academy of Sciences to develop marine nutrients and health products that will increase longevity and improve population health.
In addition to the programs offered at Nankai, Flinders University also offers degree programs in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.