Memorandum of Understanding between Milpark Business School, South Africa and Harbin Normal University, China

Milpark Business School (MBS) recently entered into a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Harbin Normal University (HNU) in the People’s Republic of China, which cements the cooperative relationship between the two institutions to work together across a number of key areas.

In terms of the agreement, students from China will be able to come to South Africa to experience her people and culture first-hand while they improve on their English language abilities. Likewise, South African students of business in or banking may go to China to learn about Chinese social and economic structures. Initially, however, the MoU will aim to send a group of Chinese students to South Africa to develop their English language abilities as soon as September 2010.

Academic staff exchanges are also envisaged in terms of the MoU. Both institutions believe there is much to be learned from one another and, in the context of burgeoning economic relationships between China and Africa, are confident that this relationship is integral to cementing the growth and development of Afro-Chinese business relationships in general.

Harbin Normal University is situated in North East China, in the most northern capital, Harbin. A comprehensive institution, Harbin was established in 1951 as a public university specializing in the education of teachers. The University employs 972 professors among its 3 500 academic teaching staff and is home to about 45 000 residential students. HNU offers nine doctoral degrees, 85 masters-level degrees and 54 undergraduate degrees across five faculties. The university comprises four campuses spread across 495 hectares. The Chinese academic year runs from September to mid-January (1^st semester) and from mid March to end July (2^nd semester).

Milpark Business School is a key provider of quality education in the areas of management, leadership, banking and insurance. MBS was established in 1997 and is an independent, private institution of higher education (Number 2007/HE07/003). Programmes are delivered predominantly via distance learning although contact learning plays an important role in a number of programmes including the MBA, the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Certificate in Banking Services Advice. The majority of Milpark’s students is employed across a wide variety of sectors in South Africa.

MBS also plays a direct role in the development of new and existing staff in niche sectors through its involvement in several learnerships designed to contribute directly to the transformation of the country.

MBS operates from three dedicated campuses in South Africa: Claremont, Cape Town (from which most of the distance learning programmes are offered); Melville, Johannesburg (the main contact learning campus) and a site in Westville, Durban (which serves as a support office for students in the region).

Milpark Business School has three Faculties:

• The Faculty of Banking
• The Faculty of Financial Planning and Insurance
• The Faculty of Management and Leadership.

For more information on the range of MBS qualifications, visit www.milpark.ac.za.