NCI leads second headteachers' delegation visit to China

30/11/2017

Following last year’s success, the second headmasters’ delegation visit to China took place from 15 to 20 October 2017. The delegation was organised over a 12 month period by NCI in partnership with Nottingham City Council and Access China UK Education (ACUK), led by NCI China Director Dr Jinrong Meng.

This year’s delegation consisted of one official from the educational section of Nottingham City Council and nine headteachers from local primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands region, including some of the best schools in Nottingham such as Rushcliffe School and Fernwood School (OFSTED Outstanding rated).

Between 16 and 18 October, the delegation visited Ningbo, where they were warmly received by senior officials from the Ningbo Educational Bureau and Foreign Affairs Office, accompanied by colleagues from the NCI Ningbo Branch based at The University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus. By the end of the visit, all nine headmasters signed memorandums of agreement with their counterparts from local schools in Ningbo to establish sister school partnerships. The connections between these sister schools started several months back and were only made possible with strong assistance from ACUK, Ningbo Educational Bureau and NCI. The headmasters spent a whole day at their sister schools, witnessing the teacher and student experience and exploring options for further cooperation and exchange

On the morning of 19 October, the delegation took a high-speed train from Ningbo to Shanghai. They visited well known landmarks in Shanghai including Nanjing Road, the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower and Lujiazui. They also visited Fudan University and were warmly received by senior officials on 20 October.

Feedback from delegates was very positive. For most of them, this was their first ever visit to China. Several of them said that they had found the experience ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘enjoyable’ and that they could envisage how sister schools would open new doors for their school and their students.

Over the past three years, NCI has successfully organised two headteacher delegation visits with 18 sister schools in Nottingham and Ningbo paired up, many of whom have had pupils from China visit their school or vice versa. There have also been three successful student delegation visits to China since 2015. Each delegation consisted of around 20 students and teachers. “The impact of these cultural exchange visits is profound,” said Dr Jingrong Meng, “The eye-opening experience has not only touched the lives of these students, but also their families and classmates who have not been to China. We look forward to organising more visits and enhancing understanding between China and the UK in the years to come,” she added.

~ENDS~