Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. has attended a landmark events in Beijing to announce the creation of a new Environmental Science Degree to help deepen research links between UCC and China. UCC was one of several Irish third level institutions to sign Memorandums of Understanding or announce new developments with Chinese education partners during Minister McHugh’s St Patrick’s Day programme.
Since 2006 UCC Senior Management, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and representatives from Cork University Business School have engaged regularly with Minzu University China (MUC).
Both institutions signed a cooperation agreement in 2016, and since then have developed a dual degree programme in Environmental Science between UCC and MUC.
Minister McHugh said: “The relationship between Ireland and China is strong and is growing. Not only is that but the diversity of relationship impressive. The new opportunities for deeper ties in education is an example of that.
“This is an expansion of UCC’s existing relationship with Minzu University, emphasising the strong and evolving links between Irish educational institutions and their Chinese education partners. We are now looking to a new future of relations between UCC and Minzu University China”.
The delegation from UCC included Prof. Patrick O`Shea, UCC President, Prof. Mark Poustie, Incoming Dean of Law School and Prof. Andrew Wheeler, Head of School of BEES, among others.
Minister McHugh added: “Congratulations to everyone involved, to the teams on both sides, in Ireland and China, in UCC and Minzu University, who made these announcements possible today. “Combined international efforts like these are great reflection of the good relations between Ireland and China over the last 40 years.”
In addition, three other institutions signed Memorandums of Understanding: Letterkenny Institute of Technology LYIT has linked with Chengdu Neusoft University on two fronts. . The first involves new pathway programmes in computing, design/digital arts and business management and marketing. The second aims to lead to further cooperation opportunities between LYIT and Chengdu Neusoft University and also Donegal County Council and local government in Chengdu, Sichuan. Dublin Business School and Anhui University of Science and Technology also signed an agreement to explore academic collaboration, credit transfer, student and staff exchange. The signing ceremony also confirmed links between IT Carlow and Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economics. The two institutes have a Memorandum of Understanding to announce a joint institution with four degrees, including a programme in brewing and distilling, and the first student intake is planned for 2020, with each programme recruiting 100-150 students.