UnionPay partner with University of Wollongong to boost Chinese student intake

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UnionPay partner with University of Wollongong to boost Chinese student intake

(People's Daily Online) 10:27, November 13, 2013

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UPI Chief Representative in South Pacific Region James Yang and UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings sign MOU (People's Daily Online / He Ji)

SYDNEY, Nov 12 (People's Daily Online) -- China is already the largest source of international students at the University of Wollongong (UOW) with over 3000 studying at its campus in Wollongong and Sydney, and their numbers are likely to increase in future thanks to a partnership between the University and UnionPay, the dominate bankcard brand in mainland China.

China’s Consul-General in Sydney, H.E. Li Huaxin, visited UOW on the 5th of November to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UOW and UnionPay International (UPI).

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE signed on behalf of the University while UPI Chief Representative in South Pacific Region James Yang signed on behalf of the Chinese financial institution.

The agreement will make UOW an even more attractive destination for Chinese students, as it will enable them to pay tuition fees, campus accommodation charges and items such as textbooks from the UniShop using their UnionPay cards, either online or through EFTPOS terminals at the University.

UOW is the second Australian university (after Macquarie University) to enter into a partnership with UPI.

The partnership agreement also includes proposals for research and development collaborations between UOW and UPI, management training for UPI’s Australian-based staff at UOW’s Sydney Business School.

Mr Yang said the partnership with UOW would make it much easier for Chinese students already studying at the University to access funds from China, and that the agreement would benefit their parents as well by making it easier for them to pay for their childrens’ education.

"It is a multiple win for all parties, but it is the Chinese students themselves who can benefit most from this partnership," Mr Yang said.

Consul-General Mr Li Huaxin offered his "warm congratulations" to UOW and UnionPay International, for providing quality, efficient and secure cross-border payment services for Chinese students studying at UOW. "We hope this model will spread rapidly to promote Sino-Australian cooperation," he said. (Li Yiming)