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Environmental science students visit NUIST

This is the first year that we will be welcoming a full cohort of environmental science students from the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) Reading Academy to the UK to finish their degrees. Earlier in the year three undergraduates went to Nanjing as student ambassadors for the Department of Geography and Environmental Science (GES). They recorded their impressions in a video which can be seen below.

The partnership in GES is being managed by Alan Howard, Steve Robinson, Hong Yang. Hong, who visited Nanjing with the students, said:

“I’m happy to be working on this partnership with the department. Having completed my degree and MSc in China I studied for a PhD in the U. K. This experience of the Chinese and UK higher education systems allows me to understand the differences between the two. This means I can help the Chinese students when they arrive and help colleagues understand cultural differences in their approach to learning.

“This partnership has support from the whole department but is a university level collaboration involving a variety colleagues across functions. And there is still an opportunity for other colleagues to be involved.

The relationship between the University and NUIST started in 2009 and developed considerably in 2015 with the establishment of the NUIST Reading Academy, approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Another significant milestone was reached in 2018 as students enrolling in the Academy are now Reading students from their first day. This allows them to use Reading curricula, materials, assessment and quality assurance procedures from the beginning of their degrees. This better prepares them better for their arrival in their final year in Reading this September.