After two years of hard work, the collaboration between Denmark’s Niels Brock Business College and the Chinese Wenzhou University now finally looks set to go forward. The two educational institutions signed a contract on the joint venture back in 2009, but the deal has just recently been approved by the Ministry of Education in Beijing, and it is expected that 100 students will begin studying the joint Niels Brock and Wenzhou University programme in September 2011 – a prospect that excites Niels Brock President Anya Eskildsen.
“We are very pleased to further strengthen our international collaborations. We gain so much from cooperating with our Asian partners. We continually get new inspiration, knowledge and a better understanding of cultures that are different from our own. In return we offer quality education with a strong international profile,” explains Anya Eskildsen.
Prepared for an international market
Niels Brock already has four partner-universities in China and one in Vietnam, and the school has had great success with offering its special brand of Scandinavian teaching, that focuses on the individual student and develops independent thought and groupwork skills.
The programme that Niels Brock will be offering in Wenzhou is a Bachelors Degree in International Sales and Marketing Management. The programmme is designed to prepare Chinese students for jobs in the global market.
Setting the bar high
Anya Eskildsen, who recently returned from a trip to Wenzhou has no doubt that an education with an international profile is perfectly suited for the Chinese province.
“Wenzhou is an incredible city that has great traditions of sending businessmen and -women out into the world. So an education that focuses on globalization and internationalization is a natural step. It is one of the richest regions of China, and the people of Wenzhou are known for their entrepreneurship and sense of business,” explains Anya Eskildsen, who is looking forward to have her school become part of the enterprising environment in and around Wenzhou.
“There is a great ambitious atmosphere. The people of Wenzhou will not settle for second best,” Anya Eskildsen says.
“I am convinced that nothing will be spared in the effort to create the best possible physical surroundings for our education. They never do anything half-heartedly in Wenzhou. Now it is Niels Brock’s job to live up to the expectations. The people of Wenzhou have set the bar high, but I am sure that we can create a great education that matches their high ambitions.”
More plans
Niels Brock’s Chinese expansion does not end with Wenzhou. The School is currently in serious negotiations with Shanghai Finance University about the possibility of establishing a Danish Centre in Shanghai. Only time will tell, whether this plan will come into fruition as well, but Anya Eskildsen is definitely optimistic.
“Since we already have a strong presence there, it would be a natural step for Niels Brock to establish a Danish Centre in Shanghai. We are very pleased with our cooperation with the Shanghai Finance University, and we hope to expand on this great collaboration, she says.
And Niels Brock’s international plans go even further yet. A new college education is on the way in Solvang, California in USA, and if everything goes according to plan, a Niels Brock college education will open in sunny California in 2012.
