The Country Garden Education group is one of the leading education corporations in China and currently runs 48 schools across the country, with 27,000 full-time students. The group has six international schools, which currently have more than 7,000 A-level and IB diploma programme students. The group is going to organise a UK university tour to help students obtain a first-hand experience of UK universities before applying for undergraduate study in UK.  

The education group is looking for eight to ten UK universities to host a half-day or maximum one-day programme for a group of students and their parents (anywhere between 20 to 60 sets of parents and students). The tour is set to take place from 15 to 27 January 2017.

Benefits to the partnering UK university

The partnering UK university will have the opportunity to:

  • connect with prospective students and parents and increase international student recruitment
  • raise their profile among the 48 schools in the Country Garden Education Group.

Areas of responsibilities for the two collaborating parties

Services provided by the UK partner university

A half-day programme is expected to include:

  • a tour of the university campus and libraries (if possible)
  • a meal in the university canteen
  • presentation on the history of the university and admissions information on available subjects
  • time to speak privately with the international student officers and admission staff if required.

A one-day programme is expected to have additional events, such as:

  • time to speak with some of the Chinese students who are currently studying in the university
  • accommodation for one night, to experience the university accommodation
  • participate in some sample classes or other forms of trial study 
  • transportation between different parts or campuses of the university (if required).

Services provided by the Chinese partner
The Chinese partner will:

  • undertake all promotion of the programme and recruitment of students and parents in China
  • provide two supervisors to assist throughout the visits
  • arrange students’ and parents’ UK visa applications and international tickets
  • a negotiated fee will be paid to the UK host university for hosting the information day.

Brief introduction of Chinese partner

  • The Country Garden Education group is one of the leading education corporations in China and currently runs 48 schools all over china, with 27,000 full time students. The group has six international schools, which currently have more than 7,000 A-level and IB diploma programme students. 
  • 252 of their students entered QS Top 50 universities between 2012 and 2015.
  • In the 2015-2016 academic year, in one of the Country Garden schools in Guangdong province, 110 Year 12 graduates received a combined 319 offers from top 50 universities (QS world ranking), 190 of which were from UK universities.
  • The group focuses on IB curriculum in four of its international schools. Their international school in Shunde is the first school in China to offer all three phases of the IB curriculum.
  • The group is supported by the Country Garden Group family, which has an estimated value of more than USD $21.5 billion (2015).

Please provide a one-page introduction of your university and a draft programme of a half-day and/or one-day visit, with a detailed cost breakdown to cover the cost of hosting the visit.

UK institutions interested in this opportunity should contact siem.china@britishcouncil.org.cn with the above information by 18 July 2016.

The Country Garden Education group aims to select their university partners by the end of September 2016.