On June 24, a delegation from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) visited the Qidingshan Campus of Dalian Maple Leaf College of Technology. Both sides conducted in-depth discussions on cooperative education, joint professional construction, and international talent cultivation, reaching multiple cooperation consensuses.
Professor Liu Shaojia, Doctor of Economics from Oxford University, Director of Peking University HSBC Business School Oxford Campus, Research Fellow at Oxford University's Institute of Economics and Statistics, Research Fellow at Oxford University College, and Head of the College's International Development Institute; Shao Jing, Director of the International Office of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David; and Han Yan, Vice President of Warner Bros. Discovery Group China Consumer Products Division, attended the symposium as part of the delegation. Yang Ping, Chairperson of Dalian Maple Leaf College of Technology, and Yang Jie, President, led the college leadership team to attend the meeting.
During the visit, the British delegation conducted on-site inspections of our college's Qidingshan Campus and deeply visited various key industry colleges, comprehensively examining our college's educational practice of "industry guiding majors, production integrating into classrooms." The delegation gave high praise to the vivid picture of our college's vocational education resonating with regional economic development.
Chairperson Yang Ping stated that the school attaches great importance to the strategy of international education, comprehensively enhancing the school's educational level and academic influence, and assisting in the cultivation and introduction of high-end talents. She pointed out that the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), founded in 1822, is the oldest Royal Charter university in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge. The Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the British throne, is the Royal Patron of the university. Conducting in-depth cooperation with UWTSD, which has a history of over 200 years and takes "Transforming Education; Transforming Lives" as its core value, is an important initiative for the school in advancing the internationalization of education.
Since assuming the position of Head of the College's International Development Institute on May 5, Professor Liu Shaojia has rapidly unfolded the international layout with his profound Oxford academic background. This negotiation with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David was fully led by Professor Liu in the preliminary preparation. At the meeting, he explicitly proposed to drive development through the "academics + industry" dual-track approach, focusing on promoting the "4+0" and "3+1" cooperation models. Relying on the existing educational foundation, he actively explored diversified international cooperation pathways to broaden the space for educational cooperation and development.
He further pointed out that in the process of talent cultivation, equal emphasis should be placed on professional skill development and theoretical knowledge transmission, enabling students to develop solid practical capabilities while strengthening their theoretical foundations. This can not only effectively enhance students' global employment competitiveness but also allow the story of Chinese vocational education to reach the world, contributing educational strength to enhancing Chinese-foreign cultural exchanges and understanding.
Director Shao Jing introduced in detail the educational history and philosophy of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and expressed gratitude for the school's thoughtful arrangements for this visit. She emphasized that the university enjoys a high reputation in fields such as art and design, intelligent manufacturing, and teacher training, with student satisfaction ranking among the top in the UK. She looks forward to both sides continuously deepening cooperation in the future.
At the symposium, both sides conducted in-depth discussions on cooperation pathways in key professional directions such as electrical automation, robot manufacturing, new energy manufacturing, and digital media (animation), initially determining the above-mentioned majors as core fields for cooperative education. Regarding cooperation models, both sides explored the feasibility of flexible segmented cultivation models such as "3+1" and "4+0," simultaneously advancing "comprehensive enrollment" strategies both within and outside the plan, aiming to provide students with diversified and personalized pathways for academic advancement. Both sides will jointly establish an academic committee responsible for teaching standards and quality control, ensuring that teaching quality aligns with international standards.
我校品牌部部长薛飞向代表团展示了学校数字化转型的前沿实践，重点介绍了利用AI软件破除语言壁垒、应用“数字员工”与智能体提升教学及行政效能的创新举措，获得代表团高度评价。代表团表示，我校AI赋能教学的前沿实践令人印象深刻，为双方在数字化教育领域的合作提供了广阔空间。Xue Fei, Director of our college's Brand Development Department, presented the school's cutting-edge practices in digital transformation to the delegation, focusing on innovative initiatives such as using AI software to break down language barriers and applying "digital employees" and intelligent agents to enhance teaching and administrative efficiency, which received high praise from the delegation. The delegation stated that our college's cutting-edge practice of AI-empowered teaching is impressive, providing broad space for cooperation between both sides in the field of digital education.
Based on the negotiation results, both sides plan to complete the preparation of all materials for the cooperative education project by the end of August. In the future, both sides will continuously deepen communication and dialogue, actively expand cooperation dimensions, and jointly cultivate high-quality skilled talents with an international vision. They look forward to promoting the educational cooperation between both sides to a higher level through creating benchmark projects with social credibility and industry recognition, contributing more strength to the development of global higher education.
