The Sino-British College was founded in 2006 by nine universities in the north of England, with the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. We deliver British degrees and NCUK programmes on our Fuxing Road campus and we are a leading example of Trans-National Education (TNE) cooperation in China. Our pre-eminent position and experience was recognised recently when the British Council invited our vice-dean, Professor LIU Qin, to contribute as a panel member in the opening conference of a series addressing Education Futures: Think TNE. The conference series focusses on TNE in East Asia and Professor Liu was the representative for collaborations in China.
The conference on 19th May addressed the difficult issue of Governance, Policy and Management in Uncertain Times. Professor Liu shared SBC’s experience in this area and joined a panel including Professor Graham Kendall, Provost and CEO of University of Nottingham Malaysia, Dr David Pilsbury, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International Development), University of Coventry and Tom Buckley Director, Recruitment, Admissions and International Development, Lancaster University. Attracting more than 100 higher education leaders in the UK and East Asia, the web conference discussed the challenges to TNE from COVID-19, potential opportunities, policy issues, etc.
Professor Liu illustrated how SBC took specific online teaching measures to reduce the impact on SBC’s education and to ensure teaching and learning progress and our education quality. She acknowledged that SBC had experienced a tough time. She also described the need to solve the various technology, time-difference and distance problems. SBC’s resilient lecturers recorded lectures and provided online tutorials for our students.
SBC started online teaching from 2nd March and welcomed some students and lecturers back during May, conbining online and face to face teaching. Summing up, Professor Liu made three suggestions for the future: combine online and offline teaching (blended learning); constantly strengthen cooperation and communication between partners; and finally keep our confidence in the growing importance of Trans-National Education.
