As part of Bradford College’s approach to becoming internationally recognised as a quality teaching and learning College in the UK, it is hosting a delegation of Chinese tutors over the coming months, from the Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute in the city of Xianyang, Shaanxi Province in north west China.

As part of this process the Construction Department within the HE Faculty of Applied Science organised a site visit to a construction site in the heart of the new Leeds City Centre development at Wellington Place.

Wates Construction facilitated the visit and despite the language barrier, the Project Manager Dan Miller was able to explain the process of how the external walls are put together on the new building.

Somewhat different to the great wall of China, Dan explained how the stone cladding which comes from Portugal, is shipped to Germany and then processed into the stonework that is used complete with backings and fixings all ready to be hung on the framework of the external walls on top of a watertight membrane and insulation.

The tutors from the Chinese Construction and Civil Engineering department were particularly interested in the process which is common in the UK and through an interpreter asked many questions.

Mike Frank from Bradford College School of Construction who organised the visit, was surprised at the interest in this part of the construction process.

The Construction department at Bradford College which will be providing the new RQF HNC and HND Construction and the Built Environment Programmes this September, as well as a level 6 BSc (Hons) Construction Management, have invited the Chinese tutors to sit in on some lessons early in September to be able to exchange ideas and information on the teaching and learning process in an attempt to develop and improve the attraction and appeal of courses at both Colleges in the UK and China.

This kind of exchange will enable Bradford College to become a recognised Higher Education University Centre not only in the United Kingdom, but throughout the international education environment as it already has links with India, Panama, Pakistan and Holland.