SJ Telegraph-Journal | Greater Saint JohnSJ Telegraph-Journal | Greater Saint John As published on page A3 on October 4, 2004
IMMIGRATION Chinese reporters to check out Saint John Group of journalists arrives today to report on educational opportunities in city, province
BY DAVID SHIPLEY Special to the Telegraph-Journal
Mike Tilley, president of CANLink Global Inc, has nothing but praise for Dr. Francis Pang, a wealthy Chinese-Canadian businessman who has helped NBCCSJ and UNBSJ forge links with China.
A team of eight print journalists from China is coming to Saint John to learn about local education opportunities for international students.
They’re traveling with Dr. Francis Pang, a wealthy Chinese-Canadian businessman who has forged strong ties over the past few years with the New Brunswick Community College, UNB Saint John and the Department of Education.
"What he is trying to promote is Canadian education in China," said Muhammad Kabir, associate vice-president at UNB Saint John.
The Chinese journalists will be covering Dr. Pang’s visit to Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton because there is a large degree of interest in the Canadian education system among Chinese students.
The news agencies on the trip include China Daily, China Youth Daily and the China News Service.
UNB is a partner in the Beijing Concord College, runs the post-secondary degree program and is responsible for the academic courses and admissions to the program. Students enrolled in the program take the first two years of a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Beijing and complete their degree in Saint John. There are about 70 students enrolled in both the first and second year of the program, said Mr. Kabir.
He spoke highly of Mr. Pang. "He’s a very pleasant person, he’s a very proud Canadian and he wants to take Canadian education to China."
Dr. Pang first came to the province in 1997 to establish educational links between New Brunswick and China.
Over the last seven years Dr. Pang has developed relationships with the New Brunswick Community College, the University of New Brunswick and the Department of Education.
Mike Tilley, president of CANLink Global Inc, a company that promotes business between Saint John and Beijing, first met Dr. Pang three years ago.
"Francis has built two schools in China, and he’s breaking ground on another one right now, that teach high school curriculum plus a university curriculum.
"This year alone he has 400 Chinese students that will graduate with a New Brunswick high school diploma."
Dr. Pang’s efforts to establish educational ties to New Brunswick may have a significant impact on the provincial economy, as students from China who received their education in the province are looking back to New Brunswick for business opportunities, he said.
The New Brunswick Community College, like UNB, benefited from the links it established with Dr. Pang. Its original five-year deal with Beijing Concord College expired in June this year and the Saint John campus is working on establishing a new program.
"We’re looking at training teachers to provide world-class education in China and also in Canada," said Peter McGill, principal for NBCC’s Saint John campus.
The new program will focus on educating Chinese teachers in Beijing about North American business techniques and information technology expertise.
"The potential for the new program, which we expect to start in September 2005, will include business technology management, which was very successful and well received," said Mr. McGill.
Negotiations are also underway to enable the college to offer engineering technology courses and hospitality management to Chinese students. The latter would be established through a partnership with the college’s St. Andrew’s campus.
Mr. McGill said the print journalists accompanying Mr. Pang will help spread the word about opportunities for Chinese students with Canadian colleges and universities.
"It’s all part of raising awareness in China of the importance of the partners around the world."’
