保留海外学籍、在国内体验国际化教育， 宁波诺丁汉大学开创留学“新道路”

“虽然已经上了一年网课，但感觉来到宁诺才真正开启了大学生活。”黄智聪说。

A "study abroad" programme in China: UNNC creates innovative international education programme 

After learning about the “Study Local” programme at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), Zhicong Huang, who held an offer from the University of Auckland – a renowned university ranking 85th around the world according to QS2022, applied without hesitation. Before that, Zhicong had spent his first year academic year taking online courses in China due to the impact of the pandemic. 

Similar to Zhicong, a number of Chinese students planning to study abroad are now unable to do so due to the pandemic. In response, and with the support of the Ministry of Education, UNNC launched the innovative “Study Local” programme. Through close cooperation with global partner universities and the mutual recognition of credits, Chinese students can study and live in UNNC while retaining their roll in the university abroad. They may resume their study overseas once the pandemic eases. 

Since its launch, the programme has received over 400 applications from students of renowned universities in North America, Europe and Australia, including the University of Melbourne, the University of British Columbia and the University of Birmingham. “We are very grateful to UNNC for providing such a great opportunity for Chinese overseas students. Students are pleased to be learning and living at UNNC,” said Eloise Lyndon from the international office at the University of Melbourne.

To provide these students a better campus experience and a more consistent learning environment with different courses, UNNC has formulated a series of supportive services. Catherine Zhang from the Global Engagement Office of UNNC detailed the university’s special application system for “Study Local” programme students, and the reservation of exclusive study rooms for them to take the courses of their overseas institutions without disturbing other students. “In order to help them better adjust to the campus environment, we organised a variety of activities for them, such as cultural visits and filming. ”

“Although I have been taking online courses for a year, I felt that my college life did not start until I came to UNNC campus,” said Zhicong. “Famous entrepreneurs from renowned enterprises like Apple and Hays are often invited as guest speakers, who always bring up to date business insights to the classroom. The efficiency of study and communication with professors and classmates improved drastically.” 

The autumn semester is coming to an end, but many students hope to apply to study for longer at UNNC. The new round of applications also saw a rise in both quantity and quality of applicants. Currently, UNNC is reviewing and improving the programme in line with feedback, carrying out further interactive exchange projects with even more top overseas universities.  

Embedding and enhancing collaboration to build a university without borders is one of the strategic goals of UNNC. In the future, the university will further expand and deepen its cooperation with global partners. It will continue to commit to social responsibility as Sino-foreign university to solve practical problems and provide opportunities for a high-quality international education to more students. 

Should you have interest in or any enquiries about “Study Local”, please contact:

International@nottingham.edu.cn

86-574-88180000 (8005)