Days ago, QTC President Qin Chuan, on behalf of the college, signed a memorandum in relation to Sino-NZ cooperation for vocational and technical education with Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), New Zealand and China's another vocational college Tianjin Light Vocational and Technical College in Beijing. The Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment of New Zealand Steven Joyce, Vice Director of MOE International Cooperation and Exchange Department Ms. Chen Yinghui, and Deputy Director General Xu Shuguang of Shandong Province presented the signing ceremony.

The Signing Ceremony

In accordance with the memorandum, the three parties will set up a new partnership in vocational education. As mentioned in Steven Joyce's congratulation speech, the two country's cooperation would reap a great deal of opportunities, and this would just be the start.

President Qin presented a pen drawing portrait to Prime Minister John Key

Following the ceremony, President Qin attended a celebrating ceremony for education cooperation between the two countries. The Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key presented the ceremony themed with celebrating the future, who, in his speech, said the new partnership built between the two countries' vocational colleges would surely play an important role in their teachers training, professional skills training etc and hoped there would be more joint programs to be launched. On the gathering, Qin gave away a portrait of pen drawing by a QTC teacher to each of the two important New Zealand officials.

Qin's receiving an interview from CCTV

Beginning partnership with Wintec in 2009, QTC has sent 20 of its students and 7 of its teaching staff to New Zealand for study and training, and built its overseas alumni association in Wintec in 2011. In 2012, QTC became an important member of the preparatory vocational education research institute between the two countries. QTC will conduct a series of co-op programs with Wintec in terms of teaching research, teachers exchange, international students, workforce training, joint program and curricula development etc. As scheduled, at the end of June, QTC and Wintec will jointly hold a symposium focusing on education mode and methods in Qingdao.

(Translated by Li Chengji)