Principal Daniel Woolf and Provost Alan Harrison are leading a Queen’s University delegation to China and Hong Kong aimed at further cementing ties with partner institutions and connecting with alumni and prospective students.

During the trip, which started March 13 and will wrap up on March 18, members of the delegation will be making stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong where a number of renewal agreements will be signed, including those for the Fudan-Queen’s Semester in Shanghai program and the China Scholarship Council program to fund research by Chinese doctoral students at Queen’s. Also being signed are two new agreements to allow undergraduate students from Beijing Normal University to study with the Department of Biology at Queen’s.

“As borders and barriers in many parts of the world continue to dissolve, international learning experiences are essential in order for our students to gain globally relevant skills that prepare them for life after graduation,” explains Principal Woolf. “This trip will help us to further develop our strong relationships with universities in China and Hong Kong, which help us provide our students with a more enriching and diverse learning experience. At the same time we will be connecting with our many alumni in the region who are keen to help us promote Queen’s internationally.”

The delegation will also meet with alumni, and with students interested in coming to Queen’s, at events being held in each city.

In addition, the trip offers Queen’s the opportunity to communicate how the university is advancing its internationalization priorities, a key driver of its overall strategic framework. China and Hong Kong continues to be a strategic region of focus in the university’s international plan.

“Queen’s Comprehensive International Plan identifies China and Hong Kong as a priority region for developing academic and research partnerships, and for student recruitment,” Alan Harrison says. “This delegation will provide Queen’s with further opportunities to enhance cooperation and collaboration with our institutional partners, some of the best universities in China and Hong Kong, and to strengthen the university’s reputation in the region.”

In 2007, Queen’s became the first Canadian university to establish an office in China – the Queen’s China Liaison Office located at Fudan University in Shanghai – with the aim of building relations with partner institutions, prospective students and alumni.

In 2014, Queen’s launched a Chinese webpage to strengthen the university’s connections with prospective Chinese students and their parents.

Queen’s launched its Comprehensive International Plan in August 2015 to support its internationalization efforts. The plan’s goals include strengthening Queen’s international research engagement and creating more opportunities for student mobility through programs like academic exchange programs. The plan also aims to attract high-quality international students to Queen’s and to increase international educational opportunities on the Queen’s campus.