The Group of Eight (Go8) which represents Australia’s leading research-intensive universities, with seven of its eight members ranked in the world’s top 100 universities, visits Beijing this week for a long-planned series of meetings and interviews and the signing of a new China-Australia University Alliance MoU between the Go8 and 11 equivalent prestigious Chinese universities.
“Of vital importance during this visit is a small invitation-only forum at the Australian Embassy with Chinese employers of our quality graduates and researchers,” says Vicki Thomson Go8 Chief Executive. “It can get missed that more than 80 per cent of those quality graduates and researchers we deliver for China do return home to assist grow their own economy,” said Ms Thomson. “Checking in with employers in China as to their expectations and our delivery against that, is a recognised Go8 attribute. This is important given so many Go8 graduates from China return home to a position that demands research capability; which of course is core business for Go8 universities.”
Australia’s new Ambassador to China, His Excellency Graham Fletcher will welcome Go8 forum guests and attend the first session of The Go8-Employer Future Partnership Dialogue: graduates, PhD students and research collaborations. Companies attending include the International Business Group, Integra, Minter Ellison, KPMG, BOE Technology Group and CPA Australia.
Ms Thomson said the Go8 would also sign a prestigious China-Australia University Alliance MoU with the Alliance expected to be formally launched in 2020. “The MOU is between Go8 members and 11 Chinese equivalent universities including six of China’s C9 universities,” said Ms Thomson. “The Go8 has had a well-established relationship with C9 members since 2008, and this new alliance deepens that relationship,” she said.
The MOU will be signed by the Go8 Chief Executive Vicki Thomson and CEAIE Secretary-General ZHAO Lingshan, and witnessed by CEAIE President LIU Limin and Mr Rongyu Li, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (External Engagement), the University of Queensland, as well as Australian and Chinese government officials and senior university executives.
Contact: Vicki Thomson, Group of Eight Chief Executive on +61 438 047 155