Overseas partnership leads to honorary doctorate

Hong Kong engineering expert and educationalist Joy Shi visited Teesside for the first time this week and she’s thrilled she was asked to make the 5,900 mile trip.

Joy, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Technology, was made an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration by Teesside University.

Her visit marks the strong links that exist between Teesside University and the Hong Kong Institute – one of a range of leading overseas institutions that choose to send students to study at Teesside to benefit from the expertise on offer and the quality of the programmes.

Joy, a respected educationalist and major public figure in Hong Kong, said: 'We know our students benefit immensely from their time at Teesside University.

'Everyone at the Institute knows about the very strong links with Teesside and all my colleagues have already been here, I’m the last one to visit.'

Students from the Hong Kong Institute of Technology travel to Teesside University to complete their second year of studies across a range of disciplines including Business, Crime and Technology and Computing.

Joy said: 'I think it’s a wonderful campus and has a great mix of traditional and modern buildings, very unique and distinguished.

'It’s a lovely warm environment and I was very excited when I found out I was to receive the honorary doctorate.

“It’s a great honour and symbolises the strong relationship the Institute has with Teesside University.

'It also gives me an opportunity to see some of my students who are here – we are currently providing sponsorship for ten students from Hong Kong who are studying at Teesside.'

The mum-of-three, who has a master’s Degree in Engineering and a master’s Degree in Education, said the Hong Kong Institute of Technology is planning to increase the number of students it sends to Teesside University.

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