An excellent funding opportunity has arisen for UCL students with an interest in China. The Chinese Government Scholarship scheme covers tuition fees, medical insurance, accommodation and a living allowance for successful applicants to study Chinese language for a period of up to one academic year.

Students must satisfy the following criteria in order to be eligible to apply:

• Be a national of a country other than China
• Be under age 45 and with at least two years of Undergraduate level study

UCL will be shortlisting nominations for this scholarship scheme.

How to apply

In order to submit an application for consideration by the UCL panel, please send the following documents by email to Oliver Tomlinson (o.tomlinson@ucl.ac.uk), Partnership Officer, as soon as possible and by 19 February at the latest:

1. CV
2. Academic transcripts (find more information on how to obtain UCL transcripts here)
3. Two recommendation letters from UCL academics
4. Study Plan (minimum of 500 words)

For more information about the Chinese Government Scholarship programme, visit their website.

On Wednesday 17 June 2015, Dame Nicola Brewer, Vice-Provost (International) hosted a visit to UCL by Peking University’s (PKU) Vice-President, Professor Jie Wang, together with some of his senior colleagues in Engineering, Physical Sciences and Linguistics.

The visit provided an opportunity for Dame Nicola to outline UCL’s Global Engagement Strategy to PKU, to take stock of the collaborative activities between the two universities and to exchange views on the future direction the partnership might take, particularly on the research side.

Besides these discussions, the visit enabled the first UCL: PKU Science and Engineering workshop to take place, co-ordinated by Professor Nick Brook, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MAPS). This joint workshop was the first of a series that will be held in 2015,  the others being focussed on Management Science, Infectious Diseases, and Medical Humanities.

For more information about this visit please contact Andrew Pink, UCL Office for International Affairs at a.g.pink@ucl.ac.uk

On 24 February, nearly 160 UCL students from China and Hong Kong gathered in the North Cloisters to celebrate Chinese New Year.

For over a decade, successive UCL Pro-Vice-Provosts have marked the Chinese New Year with an informal drinks reception for staff and students from China, and for staff working with Chinese partners.

The issue of whether it was in fact the Year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram, a debate hotly contested in the media this year, was raised by Pro-Vice-Provost for China, Professor Xiao Guo, who suggested that if the year was anything like UCL students, who are independent and auspicious, 2015 must be the Year of the Goat.

“People born in a Year of the Goat are generally believed to be gentle mild-mannered, shy, stable, sympathetic, amicable, and brimming with a strong sense of kindheartedness and justice.

They have very delicate thoughts, strong creativity, and perseverance, and acquire professional skills well. Although they look gentle on the surface, they are tough on the inside, always insisting on their own opinions in their minds. They have strong inner resilience and excellent defensive instincts.”

China Highlights

Speakers and guests at the event included:

• Professor Michael Arthur, UCL President and Provost
• Dame Nicola Brewer, Vice Provost (International)
• Sir John Boyd, Chairman of Asia House
• Lord Tim Clement Jones, UCL Council and House of Lords All Party China Group
• Professor emeritus, Michael Worton

Visit the UCL Global China webpage for the latest information on partnerships and collaborations in the region, current activities and details on how to join the UCL staff China Regional Network

The Newton Fund is part of the UK’s official international development assistance. This new funding is designed to promote the long term economic development and welfare of people in partner countries and unlock new opportunities for HEIs to contribute and build partnerships.

The fund is worth £75 million each year from 2014 for 5 years, predicated upon reciprocal funding in cash or kind from each partner country.

The partner countries have been confirmed as 15 fast-developing economies, identified by OECD:

• Brazil
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Egypt
• India
• Indonesia
• Kazakhstan
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Philippines
• South Africa
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Vietnam

The fund has a governance board chaired by the Minister for Universities and Science, while BIS will oversee the management of the fund via a core group of ‘delivery partners’, including various academies, the British Council and International Higher Education Unit, Research Councils UK, Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Met Office.

The fund is organised into a wide-ranging series of collaborative programmes grouped into three ‘pillars’: People, Programmes, Translation.

Each UK delivery partner has a particular role in promoting different programmes; see Newton Fund Programme Descriptions [PDF] for further information.

Each partner country decides upon its own priorities in consultation with the UK delivery partners and UK diplomatic centres in-country, according to local need and the local availability of reciprocal matching resources.

How to apply

UCL applications for Newton funding will follow the applicant’s usual departmental procedures in line with the relevant Newton Fund delivery partner’s requirements. Further guidance if required can be obtained from the research facilitation team member for the appropriate School, visit the Office of the Vice Provost for Research website for contact information

Useful information

An overview of the BIS policy [webpage]

The Newton Fund Programme Descriptions [PDF]

Government Newton Fund Presentation [PowerPoint]

Frequently asked questions [PDF]

Universities UK International Unit maintains an up-to-date web page as a one-stop for all current calls [webpage]

Universities UK International Unit runs an email alert service for all new calls, and UCL colleagues are encouraged to sign up for this [webpage]

At the end of July 2014, a UCL delegation visited China to discuss opportunities for partnership and collaboration in higher education.

Dame Nicola Brewer, Vice-Provost (International); Dr. Vivienne Lo, Director of CCHH, UCL Department of History; Vice President, Dr. Li Yansong, Peking University

Led by Vice Provost (International) Dame Nicola Brewer and Professor Xiao Guo, UCL’s Pro-Provost for China, the delegation also included:

• Vivienne Lo, Director of China Centre for Health and Humanity (CCHH)
• Therese Hesketh, UCL Institute of Global Health
• Dr Bert De Reyck, Head of UCL Management Science and Innovation
• Dr Michael Morris, Corporate Partnerships Manager, UCL Advances
• Nigel Percival, Director, Office for International Affairs
• Alan Goulbourne, Assistant Director, Office for International Affairs

Discussions spanned across higher education with a particular focus on the prospect of establishing a UCL presence in China, meeting with the British Embassy and British Council in Beijing to gain a clearer understanding of the education system in the region.

The group also met with some top universities, including Peking University, Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University to explore potential partnerships and collaborative opportunities, including the Newton Fund, CSC Scholarships and Horizon 2020.

The trip coincided with the prestigious China Science Festival, attended by Professor Guo, who gave a keynote speech on the obligations of a global university. Professor Guo was interviewed by China Science Daily, S&T Daily and Beijing News.

Further information about UCL at the China Science Festival can be found on the UCL Corporate Partnerships website and photographs can be viewed on the UCL FlickR website

To discuss UCL’s current links and ongoing plan for China, contact Professor Xiao Guo at z.x.guo@ucl.ac.uk or Alan Goulbourne, Assistant Director in the Office for International Affairs at a.goulbourne@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is offering two fully funded scholarships with partner, Zhejiang University (ZJU), to study a Masters degree in Contemporary Chinese Studies, taught in English, over two years.

Zhejiang University is one of the top-5 universities in China, located in the beautiful city of Hangzhou, 30 minutes by rapid train from Shanghai.

The scholarship will cover fees, accommodation and provide a living allowance of £166 per month.

Current final year UCL students, across any subject area, are invited to apply. UCL alumni holding a UCL Masters degree ‘with distinction’ are also eligible for the scholarship but will complete the ZJU programme in just one year.

The UCL application deadline is 23 April 2014, 10am

Full details on how to apply, and the ZJU eligibility restrictions, can be found on the ZJU website

Complete applications should be sent to:

UCL Office for International Affairs,
48 Gordon Square,
London
WC1H 0PJ
c/o Dr Andrew Pink

The two successful candidates will be notified by the end of the day on 30 April 2014.

If you have any queries, please email Dr Andrew Pink at a.g.pink@ucl.ac.uk