University explores alumni links with China 

Queen’s graduate Bridget Walsh (BSc Econ, 1993), who has been travelling regularly to China for over 5 years, is among a group of University staff and local graduates in China, who have been exploring how best to take forward an alumni chapter in the vast country.

Alumni Officer, Meaghan Lyons, has been working closely with Bridget in recent few months to establish levels of interest and connections across the major cities of. In October 2013, Bridget (who is a partner with Ernst & Young Partner in London, and leads EY's Trade Route with China) hosted an evening reception for alumni while she was in Shanghai.

The University has over 700 graduates spread across China primarily in finance, management and process engineering with numbers concentrated in Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai. While distances are likely to make it difficult for graduates to travel to events, a virtual LinkedIn group is gathering interest.

In recent years the University has developed close ties with Shenzhen University, the Beijing Institute of Technology and, more recently, the China Medical University (CMU) in Shenyang. In 2012 Queen’s announced details of a plan to establish a China Queen’s College in partnership CMU, which will see some 1000 Chinese students studying for Queen’s degrees in pharmaceutical science in the new College.

Collaborative agreements have also been signed with Shanghai Jiaotong University, Peking University and the Chinese Scholarship Council all of which build upon the University’s existing links in China, including the £2.3 million Science Bridge project. All of which suggests that the numbers of alumni in China will grow exponentially in the years to come.

Another reception in Shanghai is currently being planned for 2014 (most likely in March) and Meaghan Lyons would be keen to hear from anyone interested in attending, or in finding out more about helping administer a local alumni chapter.

 

Pictured above with Bridget Walsh (3rd from left) are some of the attendees in Shanghai - Sheng Huang, Yue Zheng, Xiaohe Ma, Kun Chen & Su Kang.

 

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