Open for business

China's new-found openness with the rest of the world is providing a range of opportunities both in China and in Australia. DAVID BRUCE reports.

China is no stranger to engaging in business with the wider world, as Marco Polo discovered many centuries ago, but the new millennium has brought a new rush of openness in that country.

The recent entry of China into the World Trade Organisation has put the country on a standing equal to that of the world's major trading nations, and the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing has created new opportunities both for foreign countries and within China itself.

Business and finance knowledge, English language classes and skills in negotiation and communication - the demand for learning the essential tools of world trade is growing, and Monash University is contributing to this movement in a range of ways.

Monash College, the university's preparatory college that provides a pathway into the second year of certain degree programs, has established itself with education partners in three Chinese cities- Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Qingdao.

And at a higher level, a series of study and cultural tours for industry and government delegations have visited Monash's Australian campuses for extended stays. This year, for the first time, the Ministry of Finance in China has sent senior project officers from nine different provinces to study for six months at Monash. The visitors arrived in July this year and are undergoing English language classes with Monash University's English Language Centre and studies in Western economics with the Faculty of Business and Economics.

The 10 visiting project officers are responsible for supporting the efforts of foreign organisations in doing business in China. During a class break at the Monash International Centre on the Clayton campus, Mr Luo Jin Ping, a project officer from Lanzhou in northern China, explained that there is far more to the study tour than simple language classes.

"The exchange of ideas is very important for us and for Australia. In my experience, I often find that many people from Western countries, including Australia, know very little about China," Mr Luo says.

"China has been developing quickly for more than 20 years, and we have changed a lot in that time. China is now accelerating its steps to take its part in the global economy. We have a great potential to cooperate with different countries, and so many people need to be well trained."

Ms Chen Jun from Hefei in the prosperous east of China is equally optimistic about the opportunities for both countries. "Now with our entry in the WTO, the need for training is very high. China is a country with a lot of potential, but we are not familiar with the economic systems of the Western world. And in the long run, the cultural and study exchanges can greatly improve the overall relationship between our two countries. Monash University's effort to go into China with Monash College is the right decision because many people in China wish to study at a university like Monash."

The sentiment is echoed by the chairman of the Monash-based Australian APEC Study Centre, Mr Alan Oxley.

"In China today, the demand for almost everything is enormous," Mr Oxley says. "With the opening of the economy that came with the entry into the WTO, there are many areas of activity that are new to them, and they are wanting to work with people with particular expertise that can assist China to move forward."

As Monash sets up teaching operations in China with local partners, the growing demand for pathways into university education is being fired by the widespread desire to engage with the business world of the West.

The director of Monash International's access division, Mr Clive Vernon, says Monash College's current student population of more than 150 students will rise over the coming years.

"Up until recently, access to Western education has been limited. But now more Chinese students are taking up this opportunity, and these people are becoming incredibly attractive to both overseas companies working in China and to local Chinese companies who want to deal with the rest of the world."

Action box For international student inquiries, email: study@monash.edu.au.

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