Northern College welcomes Chinese delegations

This past week, Northern College had the privilege of hosting three Chinese delegations from partner institutions. Faculty members from Hunan Industry Polytechnic, Jiangsu Yangzhou Technician College and Guangxi International Business Vocational College visited the Timmins Campus.

During their visits, each delegation observed Northern College’s teaching methods, engaged in various meetings with staff, including President Dr. Fred Gibbons, and visited classrooms, labs and facilities on campus.

The delegation from Hunan Industry Polytechnic was the first to arrive on September 22 and will be at Northern College until October 7. During this time, the delegation has further developed their knowledge of the Mechanical Engineering Technician program and visited the Haileybury Campus.

The delegation from Jiangsu Yangzhou Technician College met with a team of Northern College staff on September 22. They explored direct entry options for their students, while the delegation from Guangxi International Business Vocational College further developed their knowledge of the Business Accounting program when they arrived on September 27.

Northern College licences curriculum of these programs and others for English-language instruction in China. All Northern College programming offered in China features identical curriculum to what Northern offers in Canada. The students pay tuition fees to Northern College and will meet the same required learning outcomes as Ontario graduates, therefore graduating with a Northern College diploma.

The agreements also provide opportunities for student and faculty exchanges. Chinese students attending any of Northern College’s partner institutions will have the opportunity to study at one of Northern’s campuses in their final year of study. Meanwhile, Chinese faculty members visiting Northern receive training in curriculum development, instructional techniques and student evaluation methods.

“We are very proud of our partnerships with Hunan Industry Polytechnic, Jiangsu Yangzhou Technician College and Guangxi International Business Vocational College. They a shining example of our vision of how success for all can be achieved through learning and partnerships,” said Dr. Fred Gibbons, President and CEO of Northern College. “Our partner institutions gain access to established, cutting-edge curriculum, our students in China earn a Northern College diploma, and Chinese students completing their diploma in Canada will add to the diversity of our student population while sharing unique cultural insights. The outcomes are positive for everyone involved.”

Northern College has been pursuing joint venture partnerships with various Chinese post-secondary institutions after establishing its first partnership with Yangzhou College of the Environment and Resources in 2010. The college has since established partnerships with Taizhou University, Xinxiang University, Chongqing Industry Polytechnic College, Henan Economy & Trade Vocational College, and others.