Bradford College students are set to benefit from an agreement which will see China’s Shenzhen Institute of Technology and Bradford College work together to develop a joint curriculum, as well as producing a games development entry for the 2015 Bradford Animation Festival.
The agreement signed this week in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Khadim Hussein is part of a national initiative to promote joint educational opportunities between China and the UK and is funded by the British Council’s UK-China Partnership in Education, Skills for Employability programme.
Both staff and students of games design, photography media make-up and special effects and sounds will benefit from an exchange programme between the two institutions. Games design undergraduates from both organisations will work together to produce an entry for the 2015 Bradford Animation Festival.
The Shenzhen Institute of Technology (SIT) has been designated as a Centre of Excellence in Games Design by the Chinese Government and will open its new £150m campus in September 2014. Six Bradford College undergraduates will accompany two members of staff to the opening, followed by a two-week visit to Shenzhen, while more than 30 of the college’s undergraduates are set to benefit from the relationship. The SIT team will visit Bradford again for its two-week exchange visit in November 2014.
In addition to delivering the British Council contract, the two institutions will sign a 2013– 2016 Memorandum of Understanding to develop joint curriculum activities in other areas such as fashion design. As a member of the College Executive, Andy Welsh, Group Chief Operating Officer, is also involved in the British Council’s Principal Exchange programme and is visiting Beijing and South China this week.
Bradford College principal Kath Oldale said: “This agreement signed today is a huge opportunity for both college students and staff to be involved at the forefront of game development which is a hugely growing sector of the economy. We are honoured to host this visit from our Chinese colleagues and look forward to a mutually beneficial long term relationship.”
The two cities are also linking through their designated status as UNESCO designated Cities of Film and Design respectively and form part of the Creative Cities Network across the world.
David Wilson, Director of Bradford UNESCO City of Film said; “There is a real determination from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to develop more collaborative projects in the coming years to ensure that Cities have a sustainable and vibrant future. This project clearly demonstrates that Bradford College and the City of Film are ahead of the game and look forward to working more closely with colleagues and students from China in the coming years.”
For further information, visit http://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/
