Linking UNBC to China's Wuyi University is expected to generate financial and social rewards on both sides of the Pacific. A delegation from Wuyi University sat down Thursday evening with officials at Prince George's university and together they signed a partnership agreement.
"We look forward to our future together and in a world becoming smaller and smaller, we look forward to our students becoming friends," said UNBC president George Iwama.
Through translator Vicki Peng Larsen, Wuyi University leader Wang Ke expressed thanks for the opportunities now afoot, praised the First Nations aspect of their welcoming ceremonies, and took note of UNBC's architecture.
"The wood, the stone, the natural light are all connected to nature," she said, adding that this vibrant place was, like their institution, young (Wuyi opened in 1985 and UNBC's campus in 1993-94) and born of the wishes of the grassroots community. Their university is located in the city of Jiangmen in the province of Guangdong.
"Both [of our universities] support the economic development of the respective city," Wang Ke said. "After we sign the agreement, we will be connecting our communities economically, educationally and culturally. We will make our universities and communities very proud...It will help us each become the best. Success to our engagement."
The agreement has been more than three years in the forming. It started with municipal delegations from Jiangmen and Prince George exchanging trade and government delegations over those years.
"Dr. Iwama was part of those delegations, and he has fostered a relationship with Wuyi ever since," said Prince George mayor Shari Green. "We are trying to foster professional exchanges and opportunities on a number of fronts, and this is one of them. The city is happy to be supporting these developments."
Bill Owen, the acting-dean of student success and enrolment at UNBC, said this was not the first partnership agreement between the university and counterpart institutions in China, and they had more than 35 such partnerships worldwide, but this signing was special.
"It allows us to explore opportunities for teaching, research and exchanges for our students, faculty and staff," Owen said. "That is typical, but what is significant about this particular relationship is, it builds on connections between our cities on the whole. Prince George and Jiangmen are twin cities. It is the first time UNBC has been able to follow the city's lead in moving forward on a whole municipal relationship, and this memorandum of understanding supports that."
The College of New Caledonia also has a relationship developing with Wuyi, and a medical delegation from Jiangmen will arrive in Prince George this summer to make connections in the health field similar to this one in the education sector.
