On March 5th and March 19th, 2024, two virtual meetings were held between the International School of Guangzhou Huali College and Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. The purpose of the meetings was to explore the viability and execution of creating collaborative linkages between the two institutions.

The meeting was chaired by Dr. Qingqing Zhou, the Vice Dean of the International School of Guangzhou Huali College and attended by Mr. Mark Cartwright, the Deputy Executive Director of Otago Polytechnic, Mr. Hui Zhang, the representative of the Dunedin City Council, and Professor Shuze Tang, the Dean of International School，Guangzhou Huali College.

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Photo 1. Dr. Qingqing Zhou chairing online meeting screenshot

At the meeting on March 5th, Dr. Qingqing Zhou began by enthusiastically reviewing the friendship forged through past mutual visits and exchanges, as well as highlighting the significance that both institutions leadership attributes to cooperative education and the groundwork that has been laid. Using a PowerPoint presentation, she introduced the concept of cooperative education between the two institutions with the aim of establishing a Sino-foreign cooperative education institution. Dr. Zhou proposed the establishment of a joint institution in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools."

The cooperation would adopt the "4+0" model, meaning students would study at Guangzhou Huali College for four years, with possibility for students to study at Otago Polytechnic for 1-2 semesters during their academic program.

Deputy Executive Director Cartwright also proposed the possibility of adopting the "3+1" model for certain majors, where students would study at Guangzhou Huali College for the first three years and then spend the final year at Otago Polytechnic. Otago Polytechnic would send outstanding teaching staff to Guangzhou Huali College to undertake teaching tasks for core courses. Upon graduation, the students would receive dual-bachelor's degrees from the both institutions. Deputy Executive Director Cartwright expressed full support for this project and plans to communicate and negotiate with the relevant departments and their heads regarding the selection of joint majors and other related matters.

Dean Tang affirmed that both the board of directors and school leadership are fully committed to supporting this collaboration. The International School will harness its strengths as an English-language teaching platform with an international focus to deliver pertinent services.

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Photo 2.  Dr. Qingqing Zhou introduced cooperation framework

At the meeting on March 19th, Deputy Executive Director Cartwright first provided feedback on the joint program suggestions from Otago Polytechnic. He proposed four potential programs for collaboration:

Bachelor of Information Technology

Bachelor of Applied Management

Bachelor of Engineering Technology

Bachelor of Applied Science. Additionally

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Photo 3.Second virtual meeting by Team

Mr. Cartwright emphasized the desire to implement teaching through both the 4+0 and 3+1 models concurrently.

Dean Tang expressed his sincere appreciation to Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Hui Zhang for their proactive advocacy of the joint project. The International School will promptly communicate relevant updates to the President and the Board of Directors to expedite support from the higher authorities. Additionally, Dean Tang formally invited Mr. Cartwright to visit Huali by the end of May, aiming to foster deeper mutual understanding and engage in detailed preparation discussions.

Furthermore, Mr. Hui Zhang from the Dunedin City Council proposed the possibility for graduates of the joint engineering technology program to directly access employment opportunities at the hospital which is under construction in Dunedin, there by opening a door for overseas employment for the graduates.

Both parties have agreed that the next meeting will take place on April 9th to delve into specific matters, including naming the cooperative education institution and establishing preparatory working groups. This focused discussion will likely streamline the process and ensure effective collaboration moving forward.

Introduction of Cooperative School:

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Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand (OP), founded in 1889, is located in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's oldest polytechnic institutes with the authority to confer doctoral degrees. The institute has three campuses and more than 16,000 students. It offers academic programs and majors on languages, business, information technology, arts and design, film and media, engineering and architecture, nursing and healthcare, western food and catering, agriculture forestry and animal sciences, and other disciplines. Among these, the disciplines of engineering and architecture, fashion design, and animal care are the most prestigious. The OP ranked 301st in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

OP website: http://www.op.ac.nz.

Written by Qingqing Zhou

Photo taken by Wei Xu

Revised by SM Hashmia

Approved by Shuze Tang