The ever growing global relevance and complexity of "China" - as political, cultural, linguistic, economic and social field/ issue - has since long generated an urgent need for high-quality, innovative and diversified "China Studies" in higher education institutions. The particular circumstances of the Nordic countries with their however excellent and unique but nevertheless widely spread expertise, partly small-sized local resources and limited organizational networks have made it difficult to face this challenge. Due to “Nordic conditions” the academic subject “Chinese or Sinology” has only gradually transformed from classical philology into a more applied, multi-disciplinary study, teaching and research field of modern and contemporary China. The fact that "Chinese" with regard to human, financial and administrative resources is mostly a small sized subject, which during the last years of departmental restructuring has been incoorperated in different amalgations has made visibility and promotion of China Studies ever more difficult. From an educational policy perspective, Nordic countries in general register a comparatively high drop-out rate of students at BA level, a surprisingly low number of master students and a general resistance to study abroad for a longer period of time (students of ”Chinese” unfortunately being no exception). The establishment of a Nordic Consortium of China Studies concerns a joint effort of four Nordic universities (Aarhus, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm) with the aim of addressing these challenges in a longtime perspective. The overall objectives of the project are to enhance the quality of the learning offer, to facilitate innovative education organization at regional (Nordic) level and to pool a variety of joint activities in order to strengthen ”Nordic China Studies” at the European and international level. The Nordic Consortium for China Studies shall function as a strategic promotion and communication platform that aims at: * improving capacities of the involved HEI in the area of strategic development, organizational management and internationalization by increasing synergies and promoting structured inter-regional (inter-Nordic) cooperation within “China Studies” * increasing the attractiveness of study programs and the employability of students as well as minimizing the drop-out rate by enhancing the quality, diversity and relevance of the learning offer in “China Studies”; by promoting, monitoring, coordinating and updating the recently implemented Master program of China Studies by developing intensive courses for China Studies and thereby creating an attractive inter-cultural and transnational program for Nordic and international students * promoting internationalization and strengthening network building by drafting and developing a common concept for establishing a joint Nordic Center for China Studies at the Chinese partner university (Zhejiang University) * establishing a Nordic Association of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language that focuses on questions of language teaching and learning at HEI by enhancing the professional development of those working in "China Studies" education as well as facilitating the use of and referencing to the European Qualification framework Each of the four partners joining the strategic partnership has signed a student exchange agreement with Zhejiang University in order to be able to send MA students for one year to the Chinese university within the two-year MA program and to award graduates a double degree. After a first evaluation of the first two-year pilot phase - in connection with SU signing a student exchange agreement with Zhejing University only recently - it had become clear that the Nordic universities involved in the MA program with Zhejiang university, would have to build a strategic partnership not only to develop and bring the Master program to its full potential but also to join efforts to meet the above mentioned challenges and problems in agreement identified as ”Nordic conditions”. On a national and regional level the project envisages to make MA studies more appealing as academic qualification and conceived as a decisive step to increase individual self-development and employability; it is also hoped that study abroad programs become more attractive by way of a well structured education organization, excellent and attractive study conditions and innovative and relevant courses. We strongly believe that our trans-regional cooperation in the long run can lower the drop out rate of students of China Studies in the Nordic Countries. On a local and regional level we hope to add to the promotion of the Nordic countries as a destination for international students. From a regional and disciplinary perspective it is hoped that the project indirectly helps to transform “China Studies” into a modern discipline and facilitates Nordic China competence on a European and international scale.
The ever-growing global relevance and complexity of "China" has long generated an urgent need for high-quality, innovative and diversified "China Studies" (CS) in HEI. The particular circumstances of the Nordic countries with their unique yet widespread expertise, partly small-scale local resources and limited organizational networks have made it difficult to face this challenge. On top of these “Nordic conditions”, the academic subject as such has only gradually transformed from classical philology into a more applied, multi-disciplinary area of study, teaching and research of modern and contemporary China. In terms of resources, CS is a subject of modest size and departmental restructuring in recent years has made its visibility even more difficult. From an educational policy perspective, Nordic countries in general register a comparatively high drop-out rate of BA students, a low number of MA students and a general resistance to studying abroad for a longer period of time. The establishment of a Nordic Consortium of China Studies (NCCS) is the result of a joint effort from 4 Nordic universities aiming to address these challenges in a long-term perspective. Consequently, the overall objectives have been to facilitate innovative educational organization at regional (Nordic) level, to pool a variety of joint activities in order to strengthen ”Nordic China Studies” at the European and international level and to enhance the quality of education. The NCCS now works as a strategic promotion and communication platform that focuses on strategic development, organizational management and internationalization by increasing synergies and promoting structured inter-regional cooperation within CS and amplifying visibility internationally; increasing attractiveness of CS and employability of students as well as minimizing the drop-out rate by enhancing the quality, diversity and relevance of the studies; promoting internationalization and strengthening network building by establishing a joint Nordic Center for China Studies at the Chinese partner university (Zheda); establishing a Nordic Network of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NordNet of TCFL) that focuses on enhancing the professional development of language teachers and teaching within CS. All 4 participating organizations (Aarhus, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm) have: different disciplinary profiles either in Social Sciences or Humanities, a high academic standing and have partly cooperated earlier within a NordPlus project. The main activities in building this strategic partnership have been the establishment, promotion and official launch of the NCCS by consolidating regular exchange, meetings and inter-university cooperation structures. A common website (http://www.su.se/asia/english/nordic-consortium-for-china-studies) serves as a platform to tie together common activities, to provide an organizational, administrative and communicative forum for involved partners. A Nordic-Chinese Master program with double degree in China Studies has been promoted, monitored, coordinated, and re-organized by developing a series of intensive courses since language serves as the backbone of CS. The NCCS has also established NordNet of TCFL that works towards professionalization and enhancement of Chinese language education within CS. The project has resulted in the NCCS website and social networks hosted by Nordic students who created StudNet of NCCS. Additionally, Japanese and Korean Studies at Stockholm University have started working towards Nordic cooperation in their respective fields. 8 intensive courses have been developed, co-taught, evaluated, re-worked, and are now accessible at the NCCS website. NordNet of TCFL coordinates language teaching and learning activities among the involved partners and in cooperation with Nordic high schools. They hold yearly international workshops and have cultivated efficient cooperative exchange on formal and informal levels, e.g. they continue their work within a NordPlus teacher mobility project; on a regular basis teachers visit their partner universities for observing colleagues’ classes, co-teaching and monitoring, evaluating classes and student/ teacher performance. As a long term benefit the project has worked towards making CS an appealing MA specialization based on a well-structured educational organization, as it has created attractive study conditions of excellent quality with innovative and relevant courses. Due to joint efforts, efficient monitoring, continuous evaluation and re-working of the courses, as well as effective communication on the basis of mutual understanding, the drop-out rate during the pilot-period was 0%. Student feedback was almost exclusively positive. European-wide problems like the general decline of student numbers in China-related MA programs or the continuous economization of education still exist, however NCCS functions as the perfect platform to discuss and face these challenges.