Chinese New Year celebrations have started early at Birmingham City University following the appointment of a leader to its first overseas transnational educational institute – Birmingham Institute of Fashion and Creative Art – in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Dr Cheryl Yu has taken up her role as Assistant Dean at the new Institute, which is a partnership between Birmingham City University and Wuhan Textile University. Located in Hubei’s capital city, it is the first non-profit, Chinese-foreign cooperatively run educational institution in the province to offer undergraduate programmes.

Dr Yu said she wants the institute to produce quality graduates that will enhance and diversify China’s creative economy, which has grown more than 60 times over the last 10 years:

 “We will be working closely with industry to offer students hands-on experience to ensure their employability. As an international creative institute, we will focus on students’ practical skills, as well as their independent study abilities. Together with our partner, Wuhan Textile University, I envisage Birmingham Institute of Fashion and Creative Art as an international institute that global industry and employers speak highly of.”

As well as leading the teaching of three undergraduate programmes – BA (Hons) Visual Communication, BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture and BSc (Hons) Digital Media Technology – Dr Yu will shape the strategic development of the Institute, as it seeks to grow to more than 3,500 students over the next seven years.

 Commenting on Dr Cheryl Yu’s appointment, Professor Bashir Makhoul, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, said:

 “I view Dr Yu’s appointment as the Assistant Dean as part of this progression and we all look forward to welcoming the first students to the Institute in September this year.”

Dr Cheryl Yu took up her position as Assistant Dean on Monday 1 February. Previous to this, Dr Yu was China Regional Director for Birmingham City University. Dr Yu’s research focuses on the creative arts and student mobility in higher education, both in China and the UK.