The first DNV scholarship in China was recently awarded at Harbin Engineering University (HEU). Four undergraduate students majoring in naval architecture and marine engineering, and two postgraduate students majoring in naval architecture, have won the DNV scholarship for 2006.
Bjørn K. Haugland, DNV Regional Manager for Greater China, and Mr. Gao Wanxin, Vice President of HEU, attended the DNV Scholarship Award Ceremony held at HEU.
“It’s my honor to be present and award the first ever scholarship of DNV in China,” said Mr. Haugland at the ceremony. "Talented people is key to the development of the maritime industry. We’re pleased to cooperate with HEU, the cradle of the Chinese shipbuilding engineers, partnering on China’s path to the largest shipbuilding nation by 2015.”
Mr. Gao Wanxin said, “We’re glad to welcome the first class society to establish scholarship at HEU. This cooperation will help train excellent professionals for the shipbuilding industry, and raise the shipbuilding standards of China at the end.”
A leading institution in China
The ceremony was attended by about fifty students and teachers from HEU. HEU is China’s premier comprehensive international university. The College of Shipbuilding Engineering is ranked as the leading institution of the country.
The scholarship agreement was signed between DNV and HEU in October 2006. As per the agreement, DNV will sponsor scholarship to outstanding undergraduates and postgraduates of HEU over the next five years. It’s the first time DNV establises scholarships in China. Globally, DNV has for some years cooperated with key universities such as MIT, Stanford, NTNU (the Norwegian University of Science and Technology). DNV now has extended such cooperation with China, demonstrating its long-term commitment to the Chinese maritime industry.
DNV is also supporting the maritime industry in China by providing extensive training courses to improve the technological competence for the industry practitioners. So far three such maritime academies have been established, respectively in Dalian, Hongkong and Shanghai.
Long presence in China
DNV started its presence in China as early as in 1888. In 2000, it moved its regional headquarters from Hongkong to Shanghai. Today, DNV Greater China has become the largest region out of Norway, with 31 offices in 21 cities and over 500 employees.
