UofS-BIT Doctoral Scholar Partnership Signed

The University celebrated its long-standing partnership with the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) by hosing a reception for a nine seven-member delegation of students and faculty visiting from the institute.

Dr. Yulin Deng, current Dean of BIT and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the U of S, was honored for his substantial contribution to the success of this partnership. Although he was unable to attend_ the ceremony, the delegation was presented with a certificate of appreciation for Dr. Deng, signed by President Peter MacKinnon.

At the reception that followed, hosted by Dean Lawrence Martz of the College of Graduate Studies and research, a many of the nearly 40 BIT students currently attending a graduate program at the U of S, turned out to greet the delegation and share in the celebration.

BIT, is a top national university in China, and one of CGSR’s longest standing partners. The recently signed UofS-China Doctoral Scholar Partnership, between the U of S and BIT, is the third successive agreement. It provides enhanced scholarship opportunities for BIT doctoral students to pursue graduate degrees at the U of S.

Considering BIT’s reputation for excellence in science and technology, it is no surprise that most of the BIT graduate students coming to the U of S are in engineering, biology, and pharmacology. While the reception honoured the partnership between the institutions, the students have the same concerns and hopes as any others: doing well in their program of study, and finding work after graduation.

Xingxing Jin, an MA student in Electrical Engineering, compared graduate studies at the U of S with those at BIT. “We can learn a lot of practical skills here,” Jin said, “At BIT the MA program is mostly course work, but here there are a lot of projects, and assignments, and you are in the lab more. It’s challenging, but that’s ok.”

The students also think about finding jobs after graduation, and whether they will return to their home country or remain in Canada for further studies, or post doctoral opportunities. “Canada as a whole is very strong,” Jin says, “Career opportunities here are very good compared to China.”

For some, the connection to home and family is no different than many Saskatchewan students. Chemical Engineering MA student, Ning Ding, states, “I like this city, the people here are very kind. I think it’s very beautiful, and I like Canada, but after I finish my PhD I think I will go back to my country, China, because my parents are in China and I think relatives are most important.”

Meanwhile, joint research ventures, academic exchange, and collaborations among faculty members at the U of S and BIT continue, and the students from BIT are hard at work.