Tianjin University Launched Internationalization Strategy---The First in China

As an integral part of higher education, internationalization is playing an ever increasingly important role in the development of modern Chinese higher education. It has become the core mission of the prestigious universities in China to educate high caliber talents with international competence.

After years of careful preparation, and right after the announcement of the national 12^th Five-Year (2011-2015) Plan by CPC Central Committee, Tianjin University officially launched Internationalization Strategy for the next 5-10 years on October 28, the first Chinese university ever to do so.

President Ke Gong, Vice President Xiaotang Hu, Vice President Gequn Shu, Vice Party Secretary Yan Wang attended the meeting together with over 100 executive representatives from every academic school and administrative department. President Ke Gong delivered an inspiring speech, pointing out the essence of internationalization of a university, and the direction of future development of the university. Prof. Jianguo Ma, Dean of School of Electronic Information Engineering, briefed the audience on the scheme of internationalization at his school. A/Prof. Dachao Li from the School of Precision Instrumentation and Opto-electronics shared his overseas research experience in the US by pointing out the importance of international learning and research experience for young faculty members. Ms. Yuanyuan Dong, a senior undergraduate student talked about her exciting study experience as an exchange student at the University of Hong Kong. She concluded by saying how she has benefited from this experience, and hoped that more students could have such opportunities. Ms. TCHOUOPOU LONTCHI JOSINE from the Republic of Cameroun, shared her interesting learning experience as an international student at Tianjin University. It was relieving for her to know more courses could be offered in English in the coming 5-10 years in the university after the launch of the Internationalization Strategy.

In his speech, President Gong stressed on the significance of the launch of the strategy with regard to the announcement of the 12^th national Five-Year (2011-2015) Plan. The Plan has highlighted education reform, improvement of the overall quality of higher education, and sharing of the opportunities and challenges together with the whole world. He also quoted from the speach by Chairman Jintao Hu on the July 13^th National Education Conference that "The vitality of the educational development lies in reform and opening-up. Education should always be geared to the needs of modernization, the world, and the future. President Gong called for the attention of all the faculty and students that with the deepening of reform and opening-up of China, talents cultivated by the University will face competition on international market, and internationalization of higher education is an irreversible trend. President Gong stressed that under the context of deepening economic globalization and China's increasing participation in international activities, the University must enhance the level of exchange and collaboration with international strategic partners. By working together with prestigious instutions, the University will benefit by drawing on different educational philosophy and successful experiences so that the University will reach its aim of excellence in education, and its international status, impact and competitiveness will be uplifted. The major content of the Internationalization Strategy (2010-2020) aims to guide the university to become a world renowned university by integrating all efforts and resources throughout the university into four major themes: international learning experience of students, international competitiveness of faculty, international strategic research and education partnership, and recruitment of quality international students. The Strategy also specified all problems to be resolved, including reform of management mechanism in the University and resources to be put together to attain such a goal.

President Gong pointed out the key point of Premier Jiabao Wen s report Education is of Foundamental Importance to Building up National Strength on the National Education Conference. Primier Wen mentioned in his report that The opening-up of education is the key to optimize educational resources and train internationally competitive talents. China's development is inseparable from the world, and the development of education in China should always be aimed at the forefront of global education. Our national education level can be improved by incorporating the successful practices and experiences from the world with China s status quo, and by employing quality foreign education resources through various channels. Different ways of importation and exportation should be combined, and new models of joint education provision shall be explored so that schools at various levels will carry out international cooperation of different styles. Offshore education provision by high level educational institutions is also encouraged. The enrollment of international students shall be expanded together with the continuing support for our students to study abroad.

As president GONG Ke put forward, internationalization strategy shall be integrated into the university-running ideas. University-wide consensus and recognition shall be reached that the drive for internationalization is a long-term strategy as regards the institutional development. Along with the leveling up of internationalization, the university competitiveness with regard to student and faculty recruitment, and research grant will be strengthened. Concurrently, internationalization strategy shall be integrated into our work. As an inclusive task, motivations from various sources shall be encouraged to propel the implementation of the four themes mentioned above. Last but not least, internationalization strategy shall be integrated into the reform of institutional system and mechanism. Probe into effective administrative system and working mechanism shall be encouraged to fit in with the development of internationalization, with the pace of reform in terms of teaching, research, disciplinary development and talent training being quickened.

GONG Ke required the establishment of a cross-department coordination mechanism that encourages the active participation of different units directly after the launch of the international strategy so that a series of supporting policies can be set up to drive the implementation of university-wide internationalization. He further stressed that internationalization itself is not an objective, but a pathway to a new concept of talent training that reformulates the University s basic task as to train talents with international perspective, a good knowledge of international practice, and the ability to participate in international affairs and competitions. To institutionalize Internationalization as strategically high facilitates the establishment of the international referential system as regards the University development through the process of internationalization. Through the renewal of modes of thoughts and system innovation, taken internationalization as a foothold to promote teaching reform, international research collaboration, the construction of world-class faculty team and the enrollment expansion of overseas students with special reference to degree students, a solid foundation can be laid for making the University a world-class one.

As International Strategy puts it, the realization of the strategic goals as Three Improvements, namely to improve the quality of talent training, to improve the quality of faculty and staff, and to improve management and service and supporting capacity as regards internationalization lies in deepening the educational and pedagogical reform, developing international strategic research collaboration, refining the system and mechanism as regards internationalization, strengthening management and service and security system. In line with the international education provision, high level international management and service system shall be built up, together with the construction of a sound system-and-mechanism environment and supporting capacity.

With regard to international learning experience of students, joint education provision of various forms with world renowned universities shall be pushed forward. By 2015, one or two joint school will be set up to recruit and train students. International accreditation of degree programs will be carried out, with one or two more degree programs being accredited internationally by 2015. Through continuous reform and exploration, an open and internationalized education system with the University s characteristics can be basically in place by 2020. By 2015, 15 percent of undergraduates will have overseas study experience during their study at TU, with that number mounting to 20% among graduates.

With regard to international competitiveness of faculty, faculty s participation in bilateral, multilateral and regional research cooperation will be greatly encouraged and supported by the University. By 2015, the revenue on international collaborative projects will be double that of 2010, and 4 or 5 university-level research platform will be established for international cooperation. By 2020, a batch of international research collaboration projects with the focus on the leading edge of science and technology and significant international impact can be carried out at the University, together with the establishment of high level international research cooperation platforms under the dominant disciplines.

With regard to international strategic research and education partnership, no lower than one third of the new teachers recruited by the University shall possess an overseas Ph.D. degree, with the percentage of teaching-and-research-intensive faculty with long term overseas experience mounting to 80% by 2020.

Greater effort will be made to recruit quality international students. By 2015, the number of overseas students will reach 3000 with at least 30% being degree students. 3 to 5 degree courses under First Class Disciplines covering bachelors, masters, and PhDs will be formed. Geared to international standard, those degree courses will be designed as English exclusive courses with corresponding Chinese exclusive courses. By 2020, a more systematical English-exclusive degree education will be established

Over the next five years, great efforts will be made by the University to raise at least 200 millions through various channels for the implementation of the internationalization strategies. The fund will be used to build up the sponsorship for students overseas study experience international cooperation in science and technology, international cooperation and exchange of teaching faculty, and international students education, and to ensure the system to propel the internationalization strategies.

Representatives from President s Office, Dept. of Party Affairs Organization, Publicity Department, Students Affairs Office, Office of Undergraduate Studies, Graduate School, Human Resources Office, Office of Science and Technology, International Cooperation Office, School of International Education, and Logistic Department, relative schools, and over 100 faculty and student representatives attend the meeting. On the same day, 5 world renowned experts of the first group of international advisory team invited by School of Electronic Engineering held a thematic symposium.