Chinese students arrive for innovative university collaboration

Twenty-one Chinese students this week began two years of study at IMAS as part of an innovative education collaboration with the highly regarded Ocean University of China (OUC) in Qingdao.

IMAS staff have been travelling to OUC since mid-2015 to help teach an initial intake of 48 Chinese students, who have the option of completing their four-year course in Tasmania.

Students who complete the course will receive a Bachelor of Marine and Antarctic Science with Honours (Physical Oceanography) from the University of Tasmania as well as a Bachelor degree from OUC.

IMAS Executive Director Professor Richard Coleman said the collaboration with OUC was testament to the quality of marine and Antarctic science taught at the University of Tasmania, and a valuable boost for Tasmania's education exports.

"We are delighted to welcome to Tasmania the first of what we expect will be many cohorts of Chinese students from OUC as part of the new 2+2 Program.

"Over the next two years they will benefit from IMAS's world class teaching in marine and Antarctic science while experiencing life in Tasmania.

"With more than 45 000 students, Ocean University of China is a major centre for oceanography and fisheries science in China and has taught 70 per cent of the country's PhD graduates in those disciplines.

"Coming from China's premier teaching institution for Physical Oceanography, these students are among the country's top students in this discipline.

"There are obvious synergies between IMAS and OUC's teaching and research programs and our collaboration reflects the strong international reputation that IMAS has in its key areas of focus.

"We expect student intakes for the course to increase significantly in future years and look forward to welcoming a second cohort of OUC students in second semester 2017," Prof Coleman said.