UWE Chancellor celebrates partnership success in SE Asia

Issue date: 23 March 2011

The University of the West of England in Bristol, United Kingdom is marking its longstanding partnership with Universities in South East (SE) Asia with a tour of Malaysia and Vietnam.

One highlight of the tour is the UWE Convocation Ceremony on Sunday 27 March 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Chancellor of the University, The Right Honourable the Baroness Butler-Sloss GBE; Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve West and distinguished guests will welcome UWE graduands from Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Singapore to a ceremony to commemorate their graduation from the University with families and friends.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve West who is attending the event, said, “Studying overseas is a big investment for students and their families. The UWE Convocation Ceremony in Malaysia is a wonderful opportunity for the University and partner colleges to thank international students for choosing to study at UWE and to congratulate them and their families on their achievements. Many of the graduates attending were unable to attend their original Awards Ceremonies in Bristol, so this will be a really memorable occasion.

“This will be the last ceremony that our Chancellor, The Right Honourable the Baroness Butler-Sloss GBE, will preside over and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her huge contribution over the years. The Baroness has played a key role in UWE's development of strong partnerships in the region and I know she feels extremely privileged to have been able to support the excellent development of the legal profession in Malaysia. In her career she has truly embraced her leading role in the legal profession in the UK and beyond. We are very pleased that she will be continuing with UWE as Chancellor Emerita.”

Graduands from a range of UWE programmes, including Business, Law and Creative Arts courses will wear the traditional red and black academic robes to be photographed before the one hour ceremony, followed by a high tea with distinguished guests and alumni.

The guest speaker at the ceremony is The Hon Tan Sri Datuk Seri James Foong who will be awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws. This honour is awarded in recognition of his outstanding work as an eminent judge and distinguished member of the English and Malaysian Bar whose influence in developing the common Law and the Malaysian legal system has been recognised around the world.

The University has well established partnerships with universities and colleges across SE Asia. Since 2005, Bristol Business School has been delivering a successful undergraduate partnership with Taylor's College in Malaysia and more recently under the UWE-Vietnam Universities Partnership Scheme; Vietnamese Law graduates have had the opportunity to spend time at the Bristol Law School as part of their postgraduate law qualification in LLM International Trade Law.

The tour will then continue on to Vietnam, from 28 March – 7 April 2011, where the Vice-Chancellor and team will visit partner institutions in Hanoi, Cantho (to join in the celebrations marking Cantho University's 45th anniversary), Danang and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Vice-Chancellor concludes, “The University is proud to have very strong partnerships with educational institutions and governments in SE Asia. These partnerships are of huge benefit to individuals, employers and societies – helping to transform lives and drive growth, both here and in the UK. As part of UWE's continued commitment to investment in the region we will soon be opening our UWE SE Asia Regional Office in KL and branch office in Hanoi to further our partnerships in the region. I look forward to working together with our partners to solve the issues that are critical here, in the UK, and world-wide.”

For more information see:UWE convocation ceremony

For more information for Malaysian students wishing to study at UWE see: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/international/malaysia.shtml

For more information for Vietnamese students wishing to study at UWE see: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/international/vietnam.shtml

ENDS