After pandemic, HOPE finally rode on this journey of institutional visits again! Daniel Zheng, Directing Manager of HOPE, Judith Zhu, Chief Counsellor, and Julie Zhou, Senior Education Counsellor and Project Manager, visited 15 UK partner schools and universities from late September to mid-October for the first time in the last 4 years! Not only did they bring updates on Chinese market to the partners, they also discussed future collaborations, new marketing strategies of promoting institutions, and interviewed principals, admission managers, head of international office, academic staff, and Chinese students’ ambassadors. Daniel and Julie also conducted live campus tours and organized dialogues between UK institution representatives, HOPE students currently studying in the UK, and potential applicants in China!

When chairing the dialogue, Daniel stressed the importance of face-to-face visits, saying that “Although we have lots of connections and communications with our overseas partner institutions during the pandemic via HOPE Update, online seminars, and presentations, it is really the meeting face-to-face that shortens our distance and deepens our relationship”. The partner institutions HOPE colleagues visited included Newcastle University, Lancaster University, University of Glasgow, University of Reading, University of Southampton, Royal Holloway, Queen Mary University of London, Loughborough University, University of York, Arts University Bournemouth, John Leggott College, Brockenhurst College, Bournemouth Collegiate School, and St. Joseph College.

Meanwhile, HOPE successfully helped Yiwu Xiuhu Middle School and Bournemouth Collegiate School build sister-school partnerships and assisted Lancaster University in establishing student exchange programmes with Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.