New Market Entry Strategies for Southwest China: with Trade Commissioner Dr. Peter Liao

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Peter Liao for an engaging presentation and roundtable focusing on one of China’s most dynamic regions for existing and new initiatives towards student recruitment, research and executive training at all levels.

Chongqing, a provincial-level municipality with a 32 million population, and the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou in Southwest China have become increasingly important sources of students for Canadian institutions. Study in Canada Departments are being established at key high schools in Southwest China. The number of students from this region going to Canada continues to increase but there remains great potential for further growth.

The Consulate General of Canada in Chongqing has been reaching out to key commercial banks in the region to create opportunities for Canadian education institutions to access their VIP clients and school-aged children. This represents a promising new source of students. Study abroad at the high school level is becoming an increasingly viable and popular option for students in Southwest China. There are currently 6 British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia curriculum programs in Southwest China.

Several significant and substantive research collaborations between Canadian and Chinese post-secondary institutions have been established in the region over the last few years, in sectors as diverse as water sciences, pregnancy disease research, teacher education, and Alzheimer’s disease research. Since 2005, Canadian institutions have also delivered specialized executive training programs to more than 3000 individuals from various sectors of the Southwest China economy. Canada has positioned itself as one of Southwest China’s top international education partners, and many opportunities exist for further bilateral collaboration as the region continues to grow.

Attendees will come away from this roundtable with the following:

• Better knowledge about the opportunities in one of China’s most dynamic regions
• Knowledge about how best to connect with universities, colleges, school boards and other stakeholders who might be interested in exploring student recruitment, research, executive training and articulation programs in Southwest China
• How BC institutions can expect to benefit from the SelectCanada Students and Partnerships Mission and Canada Education Tour of Southwest China, two signature missions the Consulate organizes each year

About Presenter

Peter Liao–Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada in Chongqing, China

Peter Liao (MBA, University of Chongqing, PhD, Comparative Education, Southwest University) is the senior locally engaged Trade Commissioner responsible for promoting Canadian education, life sciences and S&T in the Southwest China provinces of Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. Prior to joining the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in 1998, he served three years at Chongqing Normal University as the manager responsible for international partnerships development and international student recruitment.

Mr. Liao sits on the International Advisory Committee of the Reciprocal Learning in Teacher Education and School Education between Canada and China project, a research initiative whose partners include the University of Windsor, University of Toronto and several leading Chinese universities. In addition, Mr. Liao is an honorary member of the International Pregnancy Research Alliance whose partners include the University of Alberta, University of Auckland and three Chinese universities.  Mr. Liao is an adjunct professor of Yunnan Normal University, Sichuan International Studies University and Guizhou Normal University.

Mr. Liao is a recipient of the Government of Canada Merit Award (2003), the Canadian Minister of International Trade Citation for International Commerce (2007) and the Government of Canada Public Service Award of Excellence (2010). In 2013, he received a Government of Canada award in honour of his 15 years of service to Canada.

This is a non-paid BCCIE event open to all BC public school districts, recognized independent K-12 schools and EQA designated post-secondary institutions and languages schools.

To attend this event please register specifying your name, position and email address to BCCIE Events at events@bccie.bc.ca by Thursday March 27^th, 2014

For more information please contact BCCIE at events@bccie.bc.ca.