SBC students celebrated exam success last month at the first graduation ceremonies for degree completion programmes in Shanghai.

Two universities – Huddersfield and Liverpool John Moores – were the first NCUK partner institutions to offer full degree delivery campus on the SBC campus. At the ceremonies on 23 July 2011, 99 graduates were joined by family and friends to receive their academic awards from the UK universities.

All of the students’ hard work has paid off – over 90% of the final year students have either received job offers or places for postgraduate study in world-class universities. Nearly 85% of the SBC graduates with job offers will go to multinational firms, Fortune 500 companies or state-owned organisations in China who are planning to internationalise the workforce.

Graduates from Liverpool John Moores University wait to receive their degrees at the ceremony

SBC is a unique collaboration between nine leading UK universities, who are all owner universities of NCUK, and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST). It is the only education joint venture in-country to be granted permission by the Chinese Ministry of Education to link one local university with more than one foreign university. As well as the opportunity to complete their degree students in China, students successfully completing NCUK programmes also have the option to transfer to a range of degree programmes offered by NCUK’s partner universities in the UK. More than 800 students have taken up university places in the UK since SBC was established five years ago.

On the SBC Shanghai campus, the University of Huddersfield offers the Events Management degree and Liverpool John Moores University offers degrees in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics and Control Engineering.

University of Huddersfield graduates celebrate at the July degree ceremony in Shanghai

NCUK’s Executive Directors, Jean Krasocki and Terry Jeves travelled to China in July to take part in the ceremonies and help celebrate the academic achievements of the students who have successfully completed their UK degree studies in China. They were joined by representatives from the awarding institutions including Professor Bob Cryan, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield and Steve Kenny, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience at Liverpool John Moores University.

Speaking at the ceremonies, Brian Davidson, Counsel-General from the British Consulate-General in Shanghai, highlighted how successful the SBC initiative has been from an international perspective: “Today’s ceremony is a fine reflection of the success that can be achieved when the UK and China combine their strengths in the field of academia. And a practical demonstration of the kind of partnerships our governments are looking to build.”

Professor Xu Xiaoming, President of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology addresses the hall during the degree ceremonies

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Liverpool John Moores University, Steve Kenny, presents one of the degree certificates at the Shanghai ceremony.

Professor Ian Gow, Principal and CEO of SBC (left) and Professor Bob Cryan, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield (right) with one of the graduating students

SBC students at the ceremony before they receive their degrees from the University of Huddersfield