May 15, 2019
The Group of Eight (Go8), continues its capability to build on its existing strong and lasting relationships at the highest levels of Government and education in China.
Representing Australia’s leading research-intensive universities, with seven of its members in the world’s top 100, and with 99.6 per cent of its research ERA rated as world class or above, the Go8 regularly discusses with China its quality research partnerships and agreements with China’s prestigious universities. It also continues to work with China on graduating quality Chinese graduates and researchers in its eight member universities.
“In Beijing we have a comprehensive schedule of meetings with the Chinese Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council (which sends a number of China’s merit-awarded scholarship students to the Go8) and the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange,” says Go8 Chief Executive Vicki Thomson.
“The Go8 has always appreciated that, regardless of the swirling geopolitics of the past few years, there has been a concerted effort to welcome the Go8 to Beijing, and to continue to prioritise our relationship.
“We are serious across the Go8 about viewing research as having no borders, but rather as working cooperatively in international teams for the good of the global community. Likewise, the Go8 understands China’s demands that its returning graduates – some 80 per cent of those who study internationally – meet China’s rigorous professional employability criteria that will assure those graduates of a managerial leadership career pathway.”
Ms Thomson said that the Go8’s relationships with China ran deep, and had done so for decades, with the Go8 home to some 60 per cent of the Chinese students who choose to study onshore in Australia, plus also 60 per cent of its onshore research enrolments. “And, as just one example, the Go8 has collaborated in almost 27,170 Web of Science indexed publications with researchers based in mainland China between 2008 – 2017,” she said. “23,800 of those were peer-reviewed articles or reviews. 4.2 per cent were within the top one per cent of documents and 20.7 per cent were in the top 10 per cent.
“Importantly the Go8 was in the United States last month and was buoyed by the determination there also from our peer university groups to work toward keeping our international partnerships robust.
“The international movement of quality students and global research partnerships deserve to continue because they have evidence-based global benefit. This latest round of Go8 meetings in Beijing, which will as always be productive, are proof of that determination.”
Contact: Vicki Thomson Group of Eight Chief Executive on +61 438 047 155