I was fortunate enough to attend the opening of the University of Westminster China office which took place in Beijing last week. I found it an exciting, very busy and inspiring event. It started off with a press conference where the VC, PVC, deans and colleagues were quizzed about the university and our courses. The press were very knowledgeable and asked some extremely interesting questions. The answers can be found in the Chinese media around about the 27 and 28 April. After the press conference, I met with a group of journalists for a video recorded discussion – inevitably there was some overlap from the earlier session but it did give us the opportunity to discuss ideas in more depth.
After a very quick lunch (2 bananas), I attended a briefing session for students interested in coming to the university next academic year. I made a short presentation about the business school and then spent time talking with applicants and answering their queries. I thoroughly enjoyed this session and it was great to see students whom I had met in China earlier this year.
I then prepared for the gala dinner which was attended by partners of the university, alumni, and staff. It was a memorable evening and in addition to a range of brief speeches, we experienced an incredible lion dance, a superb meal (which included a wonderful suckling pig with glowing eyes) as well as a jazz player. One of the highlights of the evening was the gift to the university of a wonderful Chinese painting from our important partner, Remnin University. Another highlight, was the award of an honorary degree to Michael Ng, a world-class architect. The speech by Professor Dernie which introduced Michael talked about his outstanding career and also the importance of China with its many development projects to the world of architecture.
The atmosphere during the evening was wonderfully friendly. A group of friends meeting up and catching up with news (and gossip). The staff in our Westminster China Office, Hattie and Yan, did a wonderful job in arranging such an entertaining and memorable evening. Their role is to provide a bridge between the University and China, and they provide valuable help and support to our partners and also student applicants and alumni.
I am certainly looking forward to growing and developing our relationships with China.
Looking forward to see the developments unfold and the relationship grow!