Cultural exchanges between students from the two countries.

For UCD's part, the arrangement is reciprocal regarding the education of their own students.

"We see our engagement in BDIC as giving UCD students the opportunity to come to Beijing to study, as well as for students in Beijing to come to Dublin to study," says FitzPatrick.

The BDIC bachelor's degree program, which includes four-year courses on finance, software and IoT engineering, has been set up at incredible speed. The first group of 24 students were admitted in autumn 2012, the formal agreement having only been signed in February that year.

"The speed of the development was the biggest challenge," FitzPatrick says. "Universities around the world are very similar; they have a certain pace. Academic staff like to think about things in great detail before making a big decision. So to work very quickly, to get everything achieved in time, and to get all the decisions made in time takes a lot of effort.

"The fact that we have some shared areas of expertise and academic excellence gave us a starting point, and we talked about trying to localize some of the degrees.

"The Internet of Things Engineering is not a degree subject that somebody from UCD would have suggested, because they are not aware of the interest in the Internet of Things in China, so BJUT would suggest that."

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BJUT also ensured the curriculum would include courses required by China's Ministry of Education and more suitable for careers in China. They were aware of many Chinese graduates of institutions abroad who had returned to work in China but did not have an appropriate or adaptable degree.

A degree from both the Beijing and Dublin universities would also be an advantage for any student wishing to pursue Phd programs overseas or in career opportunities in multinationals, or any company anywhere.

However, attracting or targeting the right students is crucial for the success of the joint venture. Standards are not only restricted to the financial and academic levels of the students and their families.

"We are looking for academically excellent students; that is the first criteria. But we also want them to be interested in learning a whole subject through English, and to develop English skills and be really confident in English," says FitzPatrick.

Liu concurs. "We want them to be independent and open-minded. In today's world, the road to globalization lies there for every university, this is what the times call for," Liu says.

Zhang Yifei is among the first intake, and following their trip to Ireland earlier this year, is already noting the differences and benefits of "dual education".

"I have found the Irish teachers are more comfortable taking a practical approach rather than the theoretical," Zhang says. "They give us a lot of encouragement, and make the courses engaging, even amusing."

FitzPatrick says: "I suppose ultimately we want students who will hopefully take on what we see as the attributes of the UCD students; that they are confident and academically excellent, but also have this wider perspective, the global engagement and the ability to move between cultures and to influence both cultures."

UCD administrator Michael Garvey's role includes visiting Chinese high schools to recruit potential students. He has lived in China for seven years and knows how differently the two educational systems work.

"Cultural clashes are going to happen because this is a new project," he says. "It is a learning process for both sides. But working with Fudan University has given us a lot of experience in collaborating with partners."

jixiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/17/2013 page12)