The University of Waikato’s undergraduate cooperative engineering programme at the Hebei University of Science and Technology (HEBUST) has been awarded the title of Exemplary Cooperative Education Programme in the Hebei Province, China. Only programmes in the top 15% are awarded this title.
Associate Professor Fei Yang at the University of Waikato’s School of Engineering says that he was pleased to hear the news, saying that the award recognises the successful partnership the two universities have enjoyed over the last eight years.
“I was delighted to hear the news and to see the success of the programme recognised. This is a testament to the collaborative efforts of staff across the International Office, School of Engineering, and of course, colleagues from Hebei University of Science and Technology.”
The joint initiative was the only undergraduate cooperative education programme in the Hebei Province to be awarded this title, meeting the following award criteria:
- Producing at least one successful cohort of graduates.
- Passing the evaluation conducted by the local Ministry of Education.
- Incorporating excellent resources, good governance, recruiting top-tier students, and maintaining a strong teaching staff.
- Demonstrating a significant impact and influence regionally and internationally.
Professor Yang says the programme offers the opportunity for students to receive an international qualification and a successful pathway into higher education and research.
Professor LI Tiejun, President of Hebei University of Science and Technology, in expressing his thanks, acknowledged the solid foundation of collaboration that the two universities had established.
“The tremendous support provided by the University of Waikato to HEBUST on the internationalised education collaboration and the Joint Programme in Metallic Science and Engineering is highly appreciated. The Award of Exemplary Joint Programme of Hebei Province we received recently demonstrated the strong commitment and great collaboration between the two universities.
“Over the years, representatives from the University of Waikato have been very supportive of the programme, ensuring that the programme is delivered at a high standard. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the leaders and staff for your contribution to the joint programme between the two universities.”
About the HEBUST programme
The programme at HEBUST welcomed its first cohort of students in 2015. The University of Waikato contributes to undergraduate Engineering programme delivery. Students can transfer to the University of Waikato and complete 180 points under BSc to gain a degree from both institutions. Currently, approximately 350 students across four cohorts are enrolled in the programme in Hebei.
