The University of British Columbia and China’s Chongqing Municipal Education Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding to create a student exchange program between UBC and some of China’s leading institutions for research and learning.
The Chongqing-UBC Higher Education Exchange Scholarship Program will support up to 45 UBC graduate and undergraduate students a year for three years to pursue short term research or studies in Chongqing universities, and a matching number of Chongqing students to do the same at UBC.
Each student will receive an award of $5,000 for travel, tuition, living expenses and lab fees. Study and research areas will include urban planning, education, law, engineering, and medical and life sciences, among other disciplines.
The first awards are expected to be granted in January 2016.
“This program will deepen UBC’s substantial relationships in China, providing both Canadian and Chinese students with valuable academic and cultural opportunities,” said UBC President Arvind Gupta.
UBC and its partners and Chongqing Municipal Education Commission will contribute equally to the program. For the first year, UBC, the B.C. government and Canadian not-for-profit Mitacs have committed $225,000. In total, $1,190,000 has been committed for the full three years of the program.
“These awards will support students as they create the academic, business and personal connections of a lifetime,” said B.C. Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson, at the memorandum signing. “Our education partnerships build on the excellence that makes B.C. a top destination for students around the world.”
Chongqing is the first stop in President Gupta’s China trip, which takes him to Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou and focuses on strengthening existing relationships and developing strategic partnerships in research, teaching and student learning.