Australian universities choose partnerships with China over USA

By Jessica Marszalek. AUSTRALIAN universities have decided China is the best place for student and staff exchange and collaborative research for the first time, dumping former favourite USA.

The USA has consistently been Australia's number one ''knowledge partner'' since 1990 in frequent audits by Universities Australia.
But three years after China became Australia's number one trading partner, Australia now holds more formal partnerships with Chinese universities than any other country.
Germany has jumped Japan to claim third place.
Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said the shift meant universities had decided to capitalise on the opportunities in Asia and the value of such relationships were ''enormous'' for productivity, trade, foreign relations and cultural understanding. More...