To mark the fifth anniversary of the Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) in Hong Kong, on December 14 Professor Stephen Toope announced the creation of a new UBC entrance scholarships of C$5,000 for five incoming students from Hong Kong, beginning September 2011.
UBC’s APRO was established in 2005 to build on existing connections between Vancouver and Hong Kong. In addition, Hong Kong hosts the largest base of UBC alumni outside Canada, and is strategically located to support research and academic programmes, engage alumni and drive further opportunities in the region. As a result of establishing the APRO, UBC now engages with alumni in several major Asian cities, including Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai. Further collaborations have resulted in a joint legal education programme and the opening of the Simon K Y Lee HKU-UBC House on the Vancouver campus. UBC’s Go Global Exchange programme has also expanded, with new opportunities for students wanting to study and do research overseas, particularly in Asia Pacific.
UBC is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Department of Asian Studies and the 10th anniversary of the UBC International MBA (IMBA), the only degree the university offers overseas. UBC’s Sauder School of Business is the first Canadian business school approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education to offer an MBA in mainland China, and there are now more than 200 alumni and current students of the IMBA programme.