A delegation from Trinity Western University, including President Jonathan S. Raymond, Associate Provost and International Liaison Officer Phil Laird, and Vice Provost Kevin Sawatsky, are currently in China as part of a Government of BC mission to China.
The mission is led by Premier Christy Clark. A group of 300 business, industry, and higher education leaders are participating in the mission, which covers close to 2 weeks and involves a number of stops in both China and India.
“I am pleased that the Premier personally invited me to travel with her on this important mission for BC and to bring TWU colleagues with me,” said Raymond, “This is a significant step forward for British Columbia and we appreciate the Premier's forward thinking initiative on behalf of all universities in BC.”
The delegates from TWU are participating in the mission’s visits to Shanghai and Beijing, where they will sign two agreements—one with the Tianjin Education Association for International Education (TEAIE) and the other with Hebei University. The agreement with the TEAIE involves bringing K-12 teachers to TWU to attend university classes, participate in tours of local Elementary and High Schools, and receive lectures on pedagogy and administration in the Canadian education context. Although the relationship has been in place for 10 years, the new agreement will increase the program's capacity from approximately 12-15 teachers per year to 24-30 teachers per year. Trinity Western’s agreement with Hebei University is meant to open up cultural, faculty, and student exchange opportunities for both institutions. It also sets the stage for the development of joint programs in the future.
President Raymond and the other TWU delegates will sign two additional agreements after taking part in the mission. These agreements—one with Harbin Institute of Technology, and the other with Tianjin University of Finance and Economics—support opportunities for cultural exchange for students in both Canada and China.
President Raymond will also take some time during the trip to meet with parents of TWU students, and some of the 500 alumni from the region. These meetings will provide an opportunity for the President to hear from the parents of our Chinese students and engage with TWU alumni in China.