The Southwest University of Science and Technology (SWUST) is looking for a UK university to help with its teacher development through international exchange and overseas training. Special funding has been allocated by the university to support the professional development of their teachers. The participant group will consist of 10-15 English teachers from the Foreign Languages School. They are expected to take a two or three-month-long immersion study programme in the UK this summer, focusing on English for Academic Purposes (EAP).

Benefits

The selected UK university will:

• receive financial reimbursement for their support, to be further negotiated with SWUST
• have the opportunity to build their brand among Chinese institutions, which may support with their future business development in China
• develop a long-standing partnership with a Chinese university with the opportunity for expansion in future.

Areas of responsibilities for the two collaborating parties

Services provided by the selected UK university:

• two to three months of tuition (including EAP contexts and learners, EAP skills, teaching resources and assessment)
• accommodation at local host families or student halls
• three meals a day (including drinks)
• transport to and from the airport
• a letter of invitation to support the visa application process
• a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Services provided by SWUST:

• all promotion and recruitment of teachers within the university
• coordination of teachers’ UK visa applications and international ticket booking
• guidance for Chinese teachers before they leave for the UK.

Brief introduction of SWUST

• SWUST is a multi-disciplinary university, established more than 60 years ago, and jointly supported and administered by the Sichuan Provincial Government, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Industry and Information of China.
• SWUST has 17 different schools, offering degree programmes in nine different subjects: Engineering, Agriculture, Science, Economics, Law, Literature, Management, Education and Arts.
• There are currently more than 30,000 full-time postgraduate and undergraduate students and 2,200 staff, including one academic from the Chinese Engineering Academy and 780 professors and associate professors.
• SWUST is one of 14 key universities in western China receiving the national government’s special support. The national Science & Technology Park in the university is approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the MOE of China.

About Mianyang City

• SWUST is based in Mianyang City, which is the second largest city in Sichuan province and 110 km away from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province.  
• Mianyang City is the only city to have been officially named as a “Science and Technology City” by the Chinese government.
• In total, the city has six universities and colleges, with SWUST as its most famous university.
• Mianyang City is one of China's major centres for electronic industry, with many well-known research institutions such as the China Academy of Engineering Physics and the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center, and large-scale enterprises such as Changhong Electronics Group Corporation.
• There are direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Xi'an, Shenzhen, Kunming, Hangzhou, and Jiuzhaigou from Mianyang City.

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