China to further optimize management of external exchanges and cooperation

The Beijing University of Chemical Technology. [Photo/CFP]

China will promote opening-up in the education sector and encourage world-class foreign science and engineering universities to develop partner schools and programs in the country, according to a key policy document released recently.

A resolution that was adopted last month by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China stipulated that the country will further optimize the management of external exchanges and cooperation by universities, which will foster a favorable environment for open collaboration.

Education Minister Huai Jinpeng said efforts will be made to advance high-level educational opening-up and accelerate the development of an educational hub with global influence.

The ministry will strengthen international cooperation in education and scientific research, encouraging top foreign universities, particularly in science and engineering, to establish cooperative educational programs in China, Huai said.

Among the current partner institutes, the Paris Curie Engineer School at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology was jointly established by BUCT and ParisTech Chemistry, a prestigious French higher education institute specializing in chemistry and engineering.

The school, which began enrolling students in China in 2017, aims to introduce the elite French education model of engineering, which features strong specialization, scientific training methods and an emphasis on internships and practical experience.

Su Haijia, vice-president of the university, said cooperation in establishing the school has helped promote education reform and the development of new engineering disciplines at BUCT, while fostering innovative engineering talent.

Through deep educational cooperation, the school has introduced excellent teaching resources and cultivated high-quality engineering professionals with international competitiveness, Su said.

Gauthier Roisine, an assistant professor of chemistry, has provided students with a solid framework of chemical knowledge during his five years of teaching at the school. His progressive approach helps structure the curriculum to instill deep understanding in his students and develop their scientific reasoning skills.

"I'd been dreaming of teaching overseas, and I think the experience in China is interesting and beneficial," Roisine said, adding that he has been refining his teaching strategies to suit students who are nonnative French speakers.

As a member of the school's chemistry education team, Roisine and other French and Chinese faculty members worked together to publish a bilingual textbook to guide chemistry experiments at the university. They also created a professional glossary that has translated over 1,000 chemical terms for students, according to the school.

Mathematics Professor Louis Huguet has focused more on developing students' mathematical abilities, such as applying known results, problem-solving and modeling, while teaching.

"These skills are crucial not only in mathematics, but also in other scientific fields," Huguet said.

Students should learn from practice and accumulate experience through mistakes, he said. His courses include numerous case studies designed to help students deeply understand concepts and apply them to solve more complex mathematical problems.

Graduate student Arsene Losserand from ParisTech Chemistry is participating in a six-month exchange program at BUCT. He said he was impressed by the biorefinery course taught by Professor Christophe Len.

"We explored various chemical issues, particularly green chemistry, which gave me a new understanding of the discipline," Losserand said.

Losserand said he hoped his experience would encourage more French and Chinese students to try learning in different environments, which could enhance educational exchanges between the two countries.

Currently, there are nearly 400 students and more than 20 faculty members at the school. As of July, it is one of the 11 partner institutes in Beijing approved by the Regulations on Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education.

Jiangsu province has 23 partner institutes — the most in China — including Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and Kunshan Duke University, according to a list provided by the Ministry of Education.

Apart from partner institutes, hundreds of cooperative programs between Chinese and foreign universities have been launched nationwide to cultivate international talent.

Wang Zeqi, who graduated from a collaborative program organized by BUCT and the University of Detroit Mercy in the United States, said learning about mechanical design and automation has benefited her current work as a manager of IT service processes at tech company Hewlett-Packard.

"We have to ensure that our work meets technical standards while respecting humanistic and social values," she said.

She added that she learned how to find solutions under pressure and apply complex engineering theories to real problems.