The  Faculty of Business and Public Administration has cooperated with China for several years. So far no common  projects between the different faculties  have been agreed upon.

China has a lot to offer in the field of education, and we have a lot to learn. But we can also bring useful know how to China – a nation at the same time more advanced and less advanced than us.

Collaboration and exchange

- The purpose of the visit was to meet Chinese collegues, and to look for partners for different kinds of collaboration, and to develop exchange programs and agreements with different universities and institutions in China, says Dagrun Kvammen, Head of the delegation from University College of Oslo.

Five Faculties were represented:

Health Science ( Jorid Grimeland), Nursing (Lars Albertsen, Kari Helene Kavlie, Mimi Gry Sandal), Engineering (Frode Eika Sandnes), Education (Jan Johnsen, Tove Kvammen),Business, Public Administration and Social Work (Ellen Hirsch). Director Dagrun Kvammen and Special Advisor Anne Beate  Aubert represented the International Office of the University College of Oslo.

New contacts

The delegation has just returned from Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, where many new contacts have been made. Dagrun Kvammen hopes the exchange agreements soon will be reached. All the five faculties have found promising new contacts.

- Fifty years have passed since diplomatic relations were established between China and Norway. This ought to give us a golden opportunity to expand our collaboration, says Director Dagrun Kvammen.

She also said that the Chinese Secretary of Education in Oslo, Mr. Sun Wangan, was of great help during the planning of the visit.

The report made in connection with the expanded collaboration between China and Norway has been a valuable document  for the international office when trying to establish contact with the different universities and schools. Likewise has the leader of  a delegation representing 21 Chinese institutions who visited University College of Oslo in March 2003, Mme. Song Liung from Beijing Municipal Education Commission, been  of invaluable  assistance when making dates for meetings in Beijing, says Dagrun Kvammen

Shanghai Educational Comission and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education have been instrumental  in setting up meetings with possible partners in Shanghai and Nanjing.

Forty meetings

The delegation has had meetings with 40 possible and relevant partners, hoping to reach agreements concerning exchange of teachers, development of curriculum,exchange of students, study programs, work shops, etc.

During the spring term each of the five faculties will meet and  discuss the  possible results of the visit.The  International Office will in cooperation the the faculties propose a plan for   financial support from the different faculties.

Per Gynt

To finish off a successful visit, the delegation attended, and greatly enjoyed, a performance of “Per Gynt” played by actors from  The Ibsen Theater in Skien and Chinese actors from Beijing. Here Chinese and  Norwegian culture was brilliantly  taken care of. The creative teamwork illustrates how different cultures can meet and present a message enriching both.  May be an example for The University College of Oslo?

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