Durham College recently signed four new memorandums of understanding (MOU) with academic institutions in China following a successful trip to Xianning, Hubei; Zibo, Shandong; Yuhang, Hangzhou; Nanjing; and Taicang as part of a six-person delegation to showcase the investment potential of Durham Region.

The agreements, formed with the Zibo Vocational Institute in Zibo; Yuhang Liangzhu Vocational School in Yuhang; Xianning Vocational Technical College in Xianning; and Chien-Shiung Institute of Technology in Taicang, will enable Durham College to increase the number of Chinese students it recruits while helping to meet China’s growing demand for students trained in Canada.

Part of the college’s commitment to internationalizing its campuses, the MOUs are designed to provide international students with an orientation to the Canadian college system while allowing the college to host teachers and educators at its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and facilitate faculty and student exchanges. In addition, the college will provide faculty training and an overview of Canadian teaching methodologies.

The trip, led by the Region of Durham, saw Durham College President Don Lovisa join Roger Anderson, chairman, Region of Durham; Garry Cubitt, chief administrative officer, Region of Durham; Kathy Weiss, director, Economic Development and Tourism, Region of Durham; Dr. Tim McTiernan, president, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT); and Michael Owen, associate provost, UOIT in addition to representatives from the Durham Chinese Canadian Culture Centre, which houses a Career Bridging Centre at the college’s Oshawa campus. The group met with local mayors and politicians throughout the nine-day trip as well as several businesses with the potential to invest in Durham Region.

“Durham College is extremely proud to be part of the region’s successful delegation to China,” said Lovisa. “This trip enabled the college to form new relationships with several leading academic institutions and we are pleased to be moving our international agenda forward in such a concrete way. The signing of these new agreements will give more international students than ever before access to high-quality Canadian post-secondary education, our state-of-the-art learning facilities and world-class professors, a safe campus environment and rewarding student life.”

More than 250 international students study at Durham College each year from approximately 10 countries around the globe. For more information, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/international.