With respect to curricula, state-planned and non-state-planned students share most courses, with only minor differences. Table 2.3 provides a detailed account of the compulsory and optional courses for both state-planned and non-state-planned IET students.
State-planned students Non-state-planned students
Compulsory courses:
cultivation of ideological morality and the basic knowledge of law; conspectus of Chinese modern history; introduction of the basic principle of Marxism; Mao Zedong thought and introduction on the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristic; state status and politics; military theory; college English; oral English; listening skill; calculus; linear algebra; probability and mathematical statistics; fundamental of computer
application; database principles and
applications; physical education; professional guidance and occupational planning; politics economics; microeconomics; macroeconomics; international trade; econometrics; public finance; finance; accounting; statistics; principle of management; general theory of civil and commercial law; international investments; international finance;
introduction to WTO; international settlement; international commercial law; principles of marketing; environment for international business; professional development 1 (bilingual); statistics for business & marketing (bilingual); management & organisational
Compulsory courses:
cultivation of ideological morality and the basic knowledge of law; Youth Psychology; Chinese traditional culture; college English; oral English; listening skill; calculus; probability and
mathematical statistics; fundamental of computer application; physical education; politics economics; microeconomics; macroeconomics; international trade; econometrics; finance; accounting; statistics; principle of management; general theory of civil and commercial law; import and export practice; international finance; introduction to WTO; international settlement; international commercial law; principles of marketing; environment for international business; professional development 1 (bilingual); statistics for business & marketing (bilingual); management & organisational behaviour (bilingual); accounting for decision making (bilingual); personal financial planning (bilingual); theory of international economics (bilingual); risk management and insurance (bilingual), international marketing (bilingual); international economics analysis (bilingual); taxation law and practice (bilingual); risk
behaviour (bilingual); accounting for decision making (bilingual); personal financial planning (bilingual); theory of international economics (bilingual); risk management and insurance (bilingual), international marketing (bilingual); international economics analysis (bilingual); taxation law and practice (bilingual); risk management models (bilingual); investment and portfolio management (bilingual); planning for long term wealth creation (bilingual); international trade practice (bilingual); strategic international operations (bilingual);
professional development 2 (bilingual); professional development (bilingual)
management models (bilingual); investment and portfolio management (bilingual); planning for long term wealth creation (bilingual); international trade practice (bilingual); strategic international operations (bilingual);
professional development 2 (bilingual); professional development (bilingual);
Optional courses:
game theory and information economics; industrial economics; environmental economics; introduction to world economy; international economic cooperation; international trade in services; international taxation; introduction to China’s foreign trade; international business negotiation; logistics and supply chain management; import and export practice; introduction to electronic business; maritime law; corporate finance; financial management; practice of business bank; finance market; investment bank;
Optional courses:
International investment; the theories and practice of securities investment; introduction of the basic principle of Marxism; linear algebra; international taxation; international business negotiation; introduction to electronic business; corporate finance; financial
management; practice of business bank; finance market; transnational corporation management; operation research; human resource management; institutional economics; project management; asset evaluation; introduction to international
options and futures; transnational corporation management; customer relationship
management; operation research; human resource management; institutional economics; project management; asset evaluation; introduction to international politics; intellectual property law; management accounting; tax planning; personal finance
politics; intellectual property law; management accounting; tax planning; personal finance
Table 2.3 Compulsory and optional courses for the state-planned and non-state-planned students
Note: shared courses are shown in bold Source: the student handbook
As indicated in Table 2.3, the IET programme encompasses a wide range of business- related courses. The wide coverage of the curricula corresponds well with the cognitive map (Figure 2.2) of international business compiled by Chandra and Newburry (1997). While a small fraction of the curriculum is taught by Chinese lecturers only, many ‘cooperative courses’ are delivered bilingually and cooperatively by both Chinese and Australian lecturers. A few language courses are provided solely by foreign lecturers. Students begin to be educated by Australian lecturers as soon as they enter the programme and have to improve their English and learn the Australian academic norms during the first two years of study. All students in this Sino-Australian programme are required to earn approximately 200 credits during their four-year study, which involves a large volume of work; they may sometimes have to take courses and study from 8am to 9pm.
study, all undergraduates must demonstrate their language proficiency by successfully completing the English test organised by the partner Australian university; alternatively they could attend the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test in which they would need to obtain a score of no less than 6.0. Failure to meet these requirements could result in restriction from continuing their studies for the following two years.
In line with central government policy, the CFCRS programme mainly provides an education service for Chinese citizens; indeed, all learners enrolled on the international IET programme are Chinese, with no international students. However, the lecturers are from both China and Australia and many Chinese lecturers were also found, during the investigation, to have experience of studying abroad; thus, the teaching staff is highly internationalised. While most Chinese lecturers focus on more traditional ways of teaching by, for example, delivering knowledge, Australian lecturers emphasise diverse activities such as the facilitation of workshops, group discussions, tutorials, presentations and role-playing exercises so as to make the curricula interesting and appealing. Domestic lecturers are seen to stress knowledge and skill instruction, whereas foreign teaching styles value interaction in classrooms and positive relationships with students. Lecturers also test their students in different ways. The majority of Chinese lecturers use the traditional method, i.e. a final closed-book examination held at the end of the semester. However, the Australians utilise several progressive assessment strategies such as class presentations and regular assignments throughout the entire programme rather than adopt a single summative examination.