University of Regina celebrates 30-year partnership with China

News Release Release Date: October 4, 2011 12:05 p.m.

The University of Regina is celebrating its 30-year partnership with China through a series of special events. The events take place October 4 and 5, during which time the University of Regina is hosting more than 25 delegates from China.

"This year marks huge milestones for the University of Regina. Not only are we celebrating 100 years of excellence in education, we are commemorating the 30th anniversary of the signing of our first agreement with a post-secondary institution in China," says President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina, Dr. Vianne Timmons.

"The agreements we have signed and partnerships we have forged over the past three decades have helped to shape our institution and our partner institutions in China. We are all richer as a result."

The University of Regina was one of the first Canadian post-secondary institutions to sign a formal partnership with a higher education institution in China when the People's Republic of China opened its door to the world. Since that time, the University of Regina has developed relationships with approximately 50 Chinese institutions. These relationships have resulted in joint undergraduate and graduate programs, student and faculty exchanges, scholarship programs, co-operative education placements and innovative research partnerships and have benefited thousands of Canadian and Chinese citizens, who have exchanged ideas, shared knowledge, and built friendships for the benefit of our countries and our world, says Timmons.

The University of Regina held a ceremony October 4 to celebrate the 30th anniversary. At that time, the University also officially launched the Confucius Institute. Developed in partnership with Hunan University, the Confucius Institute at the University of Regina is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. The Confucius Institute is a non-profit institution which will contribute to meeting the increasing demand for Chinese-language learning in Regina and Saskatchewan. It will offer academic instruction in the areas of Chinese language, history, cultural diversity, artistic traditions and business practices.

Backgrounder

The University of Regina and China

In 1980 the University of Regina and the Province of Saskatchewan jointly organized and hosted a conference on trade with China, held in Regina. The conference attracted participants from the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan as well as the People's Republic of China (PRC) - including China's ambassador to Canada - and more than 150 delegates in total.

The success of this conference ultimately led to the University of Regina becoming one of the first Canadian post-secondary institutions to sign a formal twinning partnership with a higher education institution in China - Shandong University - after the People's Republic of China opened its doors to the world in 1981. This was the beginning of many partnerships and formal agreements, and today the University has partnerships in place with approximately 50 Chinese institutions.

Today, there are approximately 800 Chinese students studying at the University of Regina, and there have been more than 200 visiting Chinese scholars at the University of Regina over the past three decades. Since the mid-1980s, nearly 3,700 Chinese students have graduated from the University of Regina.

The University has awarded honorary degrees to two chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress: Dr. Wan Li, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree in May of 1989, and Dr. Qiao Shi, former chairman of China's National People's Congress, was conferred an honorary degree in April of 1996.