Minister Barr: Canberra interns welcomed to Shenzhen as part of historic MOU
- Written by ACT Government
Released 24/06/2015
Earlier this week, I met Canberra students travelling as part of the Canberra-Shenzhen Innovation Intern Exchange Program (the Program), the first education outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between our two governments in October 2014.
The Program aims to bring together future leaders from Canberra and Shenzhen to foster long term collaborative relationships, and I was very pleased to be joined by the first two Canberra students who are ready to embark on a two month internship in two innovative companies in Shenzhen.
Asia is one of the our nation’s closest economic partners, and it’s crucial for the ACT to seek stronger ties within the region to boost our reputation at an international city. Shenzhen has an economy which is 8 times the size of the ACT and 15% the size of the entire Australian economy, and is a city of 10.6m people.
As the home of some of the biggest technology companies in the world, Shenzhen is a city of innovation, and the ACT Government is committed to strengthening the Canberra-Shenzhen relationship by continuing an open dialogue to consolidate commitments under the Memorandum of Friendship, Exchange and Economic Cooperation.
We are also eager to grow and enhance the internship program in future years, including working with Shenzhen to make arrangements for two students from Shenzhen to travel to Canberra.
The ACT is Australia’s higher education and research capital- with one out of every nine Canberra residents either studying or employed within the tertiary education sector. We also have a long and proud tradition of welcoming people from around the world – 30% of our full-time students are international and some 170 different languages are spoken in the region.
The ACT Government is seeking to establish a closer relationship with the Government of Shenzhen through a range of initiatives, including the promotion of two-way investment and cooperation between the companies and institutions of Canberra and Shenzhen, and conducting exchanges and cooperation in areas of shared interest including technology, innovation and industry.
I was pleased to be able to discuss future trade and investment opportunities between Canberra and Shenzhen with the Vice-Mayor, and explore opportunities for partnership and collaboration. It is an exciting time for Canberra and Shenzhen as we continue to develop strong business and economic ties to the mutual benefit of both cities.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
