Bright future for Year of 2011 postgraduates

More than 200 masters students graduated at a formal ceremony at The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) at the weekend, joining a worldwide alumni community of more than 200,000.

Many of the latest graduands have already been snapped up by employers looking to hire talented young people to help take their organisations into a dynamic new era for China and the world. Others are under consideration for positions or are putting in place plans to launch businesses of their own.

It was a day of celebration among family and friends at UNNC’s park-like campus in the coastal city of Ningbo, Zhejiang where the sixth cohort of postgraduates collected their British degrees in the auditorium of the first fully-approved Sino-foreign university to open its doors in China.

At least two-thirds of graduands received Master of Science Degrees, while about one-third were Master of Arts students. Most of the University’s bachelor degrees are awarded at a summer graduation ceremony.

The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes across its three faculties: Social Sciences, which includes a branch of the prestigious Nottingham University Business School; Arts and Humanities; and Science and Engineering.

The Graduate School is rapidly expanding, with more than 100 PhD scholarships available to outstanding applicants across all academic disciplines available at UNNC.

The University’s Provost and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nick Miles, told graduands they join an alumni community that includes some of the world’s most remarkable and successful people.

He said that The University of Nottingham, 130 years old this year, has “created hundreds of thousands of graduates who have attained leadership positions and helped promote economic development and social harmony all over the world”.

The University’s scientists have delivered transformational breakthroughs, such as magnetic resonance imaging which won Sir Peter Mansfield a Nobel Prize, he pointed out.

Professor Miles said that one of the University’s “most remarkable” achievements is “quite recent”.

“We have globalised in a unique way, with the creation of The University of Nottingham Ningbo China and The University of Nottingham Malaysia campus.

“Together with the 8,500 international students in Nottingham, these led The Times (newspaper) of London to describe us as ‘the closest thing the United Kingdom has to a truly global University’,” he said.

Professor Miles noted that UNNC students collectively have a “powerful and acute social conscience”.

“Through the Young Volunteers Association and the Students Union, you have contributed enormously through mentoring in local schools; teaching in summer schools all over China; spending time in care homes for the elderly; supporting the learning of children with disabilities and special needs.

“All of this helps the University enrich its local community. These efforts are inspiring,” said Professor Miles.

He said that UNNC is receiving the recognition it deserves at the very highest levels, and reminded graduates of Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to the campus earlier this year. Premier Wen shook hands with dozens of UNNC students and spent time talking to them about their projects and ambitions when he paid a surprise visit to UNNC in April.

“Just over six months ago, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao paid us an enormous compliment by visiting UNNC in person. It was a great honour to host him,” said Professor Miles.

“The UK’s Prime Minister, Mr Cameron, has drawn attention to Mr Wen’s visit and warmly commended UNNC’s achievements,” he added.

Liu Mei, 26, who received a Master of Arts degree in International Communications and is already working as a writer for Zhejiang Daily, said after graduating at the weekend that she felt tremendously proud of her achievement.

She said that her British degree complements her bachelors degree in journalism from Wanli University and was attractive for her employer. “The main benefit of my degree programme is that it helped me cultivate an analytical way of thinking about challenges,” said Liu.

Wu Danli, 25, has her foot-in-the-door at HSBC, one of the world’s biggest banks, thanks to her masters degree in international management.  She enrolled to study at Nottingham University Business School China after graduating from Wenzhou University with a degree in international trade and economics.

“A major advantage is my English language proficiency. The official language at UNNC is English, so I was able to improve my oral and written English. This has been very useful in my job. Most of our customers are foreigners,” she said.

Several international students also graduated with masters degrees from UNNC at the weekend.

Mariya Eranova, 26, of Siberia in Russia, said she is determined to find a good job at a multinational with her new MA in International Business.

Fluent in Russian and Chinese, she believes her British postgraduate education will be an asset on her CV.

To hear more about what students say about UNNC, watch our latest video interviews|. 

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Issued by The University of Nottingham Ningbo China

For more information please contact Jackie Hadland, Communications Officer, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, at +86(0) 574 8818 0940, +86(0) 3429355876 or jackie.HADLAND@nottingham.edu.cn|.

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as “the nearest Britain has to a truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia.

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China was opened in 2004 with the Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, Professor Yang Fujia, as its founding President.

The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.

The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.

More information about our degree programmes at http://www.nottingham.edu.cn|