Sichuan College: Construction Education Project
Sichuan College, China: The UK’s Lincoln College and the Sichuan College of Architectural Technology have been working in partnership for nearly a decade running a joint education programme in China in the subject of quantity surveying.
More than 5000 Chinese students have studied on the programme and benefited from the international knowledge, skills and English language ability taught by Lincoln College. Many of them are currently working in the relevant industries with an international context.
The achievement of this successful partnership has been recognised and awarded by the educational authorities on regional, national and international level. These awards include the Excellent Achievement of International Education Collaboration from Sichuan Provincial Government, the Excellent Case in the Education 2019 International Summit and Exhibition for Vocational Education.
Lincoln College Group consists of Lincoln, Gainsborough and Newark Colleges, which train 11,000 school leavers and adults a year across professional and industry courses, apprenticeships, A levels and Higher Education.
For more than 130 years we have been adding recognised economic and social value across the Region. Working with more than 1,200 local businesses in the East Midlands, we train 4,200 apprentices a year across a range of delivery models to meet employers’ specific needs. We pride ourselves on being the most responsive training provider in the region.
Lincoln College Group is a not-for-profit charity. Unlike private training providers, our profit does not go to shareholders.
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Lincoln College is operating in China with several Chinese partner colleges. Sichuan College of Architectural Technology is one of China’s top vocational institutions specialising in construction.
Both organisations recognised the benefits of an international joint programme with British elements blended into the Chinese curriculum. The journey to the success of this long-term partnership project has not been easy. Challenges such as the formal approval from regional educational authority and the approval from China Ministry of Education took many hours of expertise, patience and determination to obtain.
Other challenges include shaping a curriculum to suit the needs of industry and students, whilst ensuring quality teaching to the students with no strong English language ability. To overcome these required effective communication, mutual understanding and trust to develop a strong relationship and each partner has played an important role to smooth the journey.
The programme is now in its 9th year and still going strong with around 300 new students joining in each year. Graduates are in high demand by employers, and many are working in big construction projects in Asian and African countries.
The development of the training has been a collaborative journey to impart UK / Western construction practices in defined modules that are taught in English; the knowledge compliments the Chinese content delivered over a three-year learner journey.
The students study the principles of UK quantity surveying to build on and assimilate with the knowledge of their Chinese equivalent modules to give a dual continent capability and understanding. This programme aligns with the Chinese Government initiative to increase the ‘internationalisation’ of its people.
The partnership has led to students graduating from their studies at the Sichuan College of Architectural Technology with an international element to their qualification and knowledge.
The students’ progression rate into work has been around 97%, filling the skills gaps in the industry and increasing the economic potential of the individual. These student progressions add reputational value to both the UK and Chinese organisations in local and international markets.
There are economic benefits for students and both partner organisations due to the commercial nature of partnership.
