University opens new China office in Shanghai at alumni event

Tony Wong and Professor Dave Taylor

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:04:00 BST

The Shanghai office will join the offices in Beijing and Guangzhou

Sign at the No.1 Club in Shanghai Sign outside the No. 1 Club in Shanghai

THE University of Huddersfield now has full-time, fully-staffed offices in three major Chinese cities.  The latest is in Shanghai and its opening was celebrated at a special event attended by more than 100 former students plus some UK visitors.

Sign at the No.1 Club in Shanghai An alumni reunion was held at the No 1 Club, in the heart of the historic dockland area of Shanghai, and a large proportion of the ex-students had studied for degrees in logistics and hospitality management that are delivered by visiting University of Huddersfield staff at the Sino-British College.  The event was also attended by graduates from other key partners in the region such as Nanjing University of Finance and Economics and the Shanghai Institute of Technology.

A special guest was Professor Colin Bamford, recently retired as Associate Dean of the University’s Business School and a pioneer in the development of degree courses in transport and the supply chain.  He has recently been granted the title Emeritus Professor by the University of Huddersfield.

Professor Dave Taylor and Zhigang Fu Guangzhou alumni reunion

The University's Professor Dave Taylor (left) welcomes the Director of International Relations at the Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, Zhigang Fu, to the reunion.

As well as a reunion, the Shanghai event also served as the official opening of the University’s new office in the city.  Earlier in the year there was an alumni event in Guangzhou, the largest city in southern China, where the University has also opened a full-time office.  A key partner in this region is Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, where visiting Huddersfield lecturers deliver courses in education.

There was an attendance of some 130 alumni, including a substantial number who had come to the University of Huddersfield for postgraduate studies.  This event was attended by Professor David Taylor, who is the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, International, and Head of the International Partnerships Tony Wong from the University’s International Office.

Tony Wong and Professor Dave Taylor The Shanghai and Guangzhou offices are a major addition to the University of Huddersfield’s existing China office, in capital city Beijing.  Between them the offices have a full-time staff of eight, headed by Peter Chen, Chief Representative in China and an alumnus of the University.  Most of the China staff will pay a special visit to Huddersfield in the autumn.

‌‌The University's Tony Wong (left) and Professor Dave Taylor celebrate the event with a champagne fountain.

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