1. TPC-DIT Joint Mechatronics Programme
QQI Asia-Europe Forum on Quality & Recognition in Transnational Higher Education Tuesday 18th December 2018
TPC-DIT Joint Mechatronics Programme
Mark McGrath
Senior Lecturer & Programme Manager
School of Mechanical & Design Engineering
DIT

2. Tangshan and Caofeidian

3. Origin and Motivation for Partnership
Meeting between Director of DIT and President of TPC [2012]
TPC desire to provide education for career rather than job in Mechatronics
Franchise arrangement with DIT’s B.Eng.Tech. in Automation Engineering proposed.
Embedded Work Placement within DIT programme
Extensive Automation & Robotics facilities at TPC
Great synergy between Chinese Industry and TPC
Mutual Learning and Development
Staff and Knowledge Exchange

4. Tangshan Polytechnic College [TPC]?
Highly ranked Chinese college in engineering technology education
Approximately 15,000 students studying at TPC.
Oct. 2014, TPC moved from the central downtown of Tangshan, to Caofeidian [strategic development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region].
The new campus invested and established by local government with building area of 520,000 m2.
TPC driven on cooperating with newly-rising enterprises and international universities to develop and grow emerging specialities.
It is also the national digital campus, the national professional education innovation demonstration unit, the innovation and entrepreneurship demonstration incubation centre of the Hebei university students.

5. TPC-DIT Joint Mechatronics Programme?
Adopt DIT Programme (DT003A) with additional elements appropriate to the needs of TPC
appropriate to the needs of TIVTC
Diploma Award of TPC & B.Eng.Tech. (Automation Engineering) of DIT
60 New Student Entrants per Year proposed
Students registered in both TPC & DIT
Programme delivered at TPC through English
1/3 Modules delivered by DIT at TPC
DIT Quality Assurance Procedures Apply

6. Programme Evolution First meetings in 2012
January 2013: Signing of the Agreement for the Joint Programme
Validation of the Joint Programme by DIT
September 2013: First students join the Joint Programme [12]
June 2016: First DIT graduates of the programme [7]
September 2016: 2 graduates join Level 8 Programme at DIT
To date there have been 25 DIT graduates from the programme.

7. Language is the principal challenge
Challenges!
Language is the principal challenge
Cultural differences in education and focus [Results versus Learning]
Challenge
Approach
Examinations and Grading
All Examination Papers reviewed by DIT
External Examiner Visit each July
Review of all Examination and Assessments
Completion of DIT QA Documentation
Normalisation of Grading for DIT Award
English Language and Project Work
Initially, Bi-annual visit by DIT
Skype Presentations January each year
All Students present Project to External Examiner and Programme Manager in July

8. 谢谢