On May 25^th, the 8^th China Education Journal published an article entitled Cultivating International Applied Talents by Integrating Chinese and New Zealand Education Resources – The Silhouette of the 5^th Anniversary of NZUWI. On the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand, the article introduces the talent cultivation achievements of NZUWI in the past five years, and describes the bright vision of the cooperation between both vividly.

The year 2022 marks the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, NZUWI, which is jointly organized by Zhejiang University City College and UW, also celebrated its 5^th birthday.

Looking back at the past five years of running the institute, NZUWI has closely focused on the two core tasks of student training and college development, combined with the superior teaching philosophy and teaching resources of the two schools. It also established a teaching quality management and talent training system that meets the standards of both China and New Zealand. At the same time, the institute focuses on digital and application to create professional characteristics, closely following the pulse of urban industrial development. It is committed to training applied, compound and international talents to serve regional economic and social development, comprehensively promoting the internationalization of the city.

01 Create the "application-oriented, cross-compound, international" talent training mode

Not long ago, Dr. Yong Soo Keong, the associate dean of academic studies at NZUWI, shared an academic lecture on “Chinese Business Management and Climate Policy” with students. Dr. Keong demonstrated the relationship between the level of management of Chinese enterprises and the implementation of carbon emission policies through a complete and rigorous research process, including sharing his research in pilot carbon emission trading companies and interviews with plant managers and engineers of 216 enterprises.

This is one of the academic lectures of  CBR(Center for Business Research) this semester. It is also the epitome of the teaching atmosphere of NZUWI focusing on the cultivation goal of “application-oriented, cross-compound and international” talents.

Application-oriented personnel training is a top priority. NZUWI has built a practical platform for students to hone their professional internationalization ability. It has launched two special classes, International Finance Elite Class and the Future Design Leader Class, which provide multi-dimensional ability improvement training, such as professional knowledge, academic ability and workplace skills.

At the same time, the institute encourages students to combine theory with practice and stimulate creativity through competitions. Students have made great achievements in cultural and sports activities such as CFA Institute Research Challenge, The Chinese College Students Computer Design Contest, Zhejiang Exhibition Planning and Creative Competition, "Internet +" College Students' innovation and entrepreneurship competition, Students Art Festival and so on.

In addition, the institute also offers international exchange scholarships to encourage students to exchange with other countries and enrich their second campus experience. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the school organized several exchange groups to New Zealand, Finland, the United States, and other countries, and the overseas exchange rate of the class of 2017 reached 70%.

At the same time with developing abilities, NZUWI builds "three caught and three promotions" education work system. It creates “home country feelings, international vision” theme education brand activities, combined with education history of the Party, the red culture, Chinese excellent traditional culture, international culture and patriotism education, and improves college students' ideological education.

02 Integrate the quality education resources of China and New Zealand, and strengthen the guarantee of essential factors.

To cultivate “application-oriented, cross-compound, international” talents, high-quality resource elements should be guaranteed in place.

In Zhejiang University City College, the lecture building six where NZUWI is located has always been a beautiful scenery line in the campus. It integrates the international advanced design concept, sets up the smart classroom, the real-time live broadcast and the interactive teaching facilities. In addition, it creates the discussion space, and is equipped with specialized classrooms, interactive teaching facilities, the laboratory and the library reference room. The corner is decorated with a set of characteristic cultural symbols of the institute, which is being significantly approved and appreciated by teachers and students.

Teachers are the primary resource of education. NZUWI has opened channels for the introduction of high-quality talents. Since its establishment, the institute has attracted talents from all over the world, gradually building a team of high-level academic English teachers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and other countries, who have advanced degrees in linguistics, education and rich teaching experience. Despite the impact of COVID-19 in the past two years, the pace of recruiting talents has never slowed down. In 2021, a total of 28 foreign teachers taught academic English and professional courses, and adhered to provide offline teaching to ensure the teaching quality.

At the same time, the college has strengthened the introduction of full-time administrative staff with international service capabilities. Futhermore, it basically formed a management and service system dominated by the joint management committee, academic committee and internal party and government management team of the two universities. The administrative staff from China and New Zealand are fully equipped to provide high-quality administrative services.

03 Give full play to social benefits and serve urban economic development

The key to cultivating application-oriented, cross-compound, and internationalized talents is to make use of them.

In 2020, Hangzhou issued Several Opinions on Supporting Zhejiang University City College to Strive to Become one of the Top 100 Universities in China. It clearly stated that: “Build NZUWI of Zhejiang University City College at a high level, and strive to become a national demonstration non-independent legal entity Chinese-foreign cooperative educational institution.”

Based on the city, face the city, study the city, and serve the city. Since the college was established, NZUWI has always been dedicated to regional economic and social development, clinging to two big-city industrial development pulses --"digital" and "application". The college builds professional characteristics, takes root in Hangzhou, integrates into Hangzhou, and serves Hangzhou. NZUWI will continue to explore cooperation between colleges and enterprises and collaboration between industry and education. It will also broaden channels for the introduction of quality education resources of Zhejiang University to serve the economic development of the city, and broaden the way for students to find jobs.

In 2021, NZUWI cooperated with Zhejiang Financial Talents Association to promote the construction of the first "internal cycle of international financial talents training" reform pilot base in Zhejiang province to explore a new path of internal cycle training of international high-end financial talents in the province. In addition, the college has also signed industry-university cooperation agreements with Hangzhou West Expo, Hangzhou Pomegranate Seed Community Home, Hangzhou Lamps and Lanterns Market and other different industries or communities to jointly cultivate applied, compound, and international talents to serve regional economic and social development and comprehensively promote the internationalization of the city.

"In the five years since its establishment, the institute has driven circulation and circulation through 'going out and bringing in' and its social benefits and popularity have been continuously improved." The main person in charge of the Party Committee of NZUWI introduced that the first 211 graduates of NZUWI in 2021 will receive double degrees from Both Chinese and New Zealand universities, with an employment rate of 98.5% and an advanced study rate of 76% at homeland and abroad, among which 70% are from the QS Top 100 universities.