News
February 2007
Discover Wales in China
As part of their Discover UK project the British Council in China have launched their Welcome to Wales Season which will take Chinese students on an on-line tour of the history, culture, sport and geography of Wales where they will learn about a range of subjects from Dylan Thomas to how to make cawl.
Over 100,000 visitors are expected to visit the on-line exhibition from now until the end of March. A further 1,000 visitors are expected to attend events at the four regional British Council Offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
Representatives from all 12 higher education institutions will talk about a wide range of subjects including tourism, music, politics, art and festivals at Wales evenings where participants will take part in competitions and games testing their knowledge of Wales. Programme partners and agents will attend a range of events alongside higher education international office staff and academics. Alumni from Wales have also been invited to attend to share their experiences of studying and living in Wales.
During the Wales Season in China the Welsh Assembly Government will be participating in Wales Week in Chongqing to celebrate the one year anniversary of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments.
Virginia West, Director, Wales International Consortium said, “Currently there are almost 2,000 Chinese students studying in Wales, 31% of the international student population. Whilst much of the UK saw decreases in the number of Chinese students opting to study with them most of Wales higher education saw increases. It is believed that this could be due to the many long-established relationships between Wales and China involving joint research, programme development, staff and student exchange and university-industry partnerships. Welsh companies are currently enjoying an upsurge in interest from China – currently number 10 on the list of top export markets. There are 15 Chinese or Taiwanese owned companies currently based in Wales. It is hoped that the Discover Wales Season will encourage new business relationships and strengthen existing links.”
Visit the Discover Wales season at http://www.educationuk.cn/discoveruk/wales/