The Global Business College of Australia (GBCA) opened today in the city of Melbourne, marking the first time an international campus of a Chinese tertiary institution has been established outside the Mainland.

The college was funded by a $8.6 million investment in the project, after China's Huashang College purchased two buildings in the heart of the city. The GBCA will be operated by Huashang, and will allow domestic and international students to be taught together by English-speaking teachers.

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The college will specialize in business, entrepreneurship, financial services and IT, and says it can tailor programs according to specific needs and requirements.  It boasts several programs that students can participate in to experience the culture and history in Australia.

GBCA "aims to create an innovative and educational platform for students to interact, collaborate and engage with students of diversified backgrounds," says the college on its website. It adds that the college's instructors possess "concrete theoretical and practical knowledge and more importantly, valuable industry experiences."

Located in central Melbourne, the college is adjacent to the University of Melbourne and RMIT University.

According to statistics from the Institute of International Education, more than 91,000 students from China are studying in Australia, representing by far the plurality of international students in the country. Some 34% of all international students in Australia come from China, with India representing the next highest portion at just under 10%.

The Huashang Education Group, a family-controlled Chinese conglomerate, currently provides services for 35,000 students including a business-focused college and a University of Finance and Economics. The college will offer certificates in accounting and bookkeeping, and is looking to add degrees in similar areas to its program upon receiving approval as a registered training organization from the Australian Skills Quality Authority.

The first international students of the college are scheduled to arrive in the middle of 2016.

TagsChina Opens First Foreign College Campus in Australia, The Global Business College of Australia (GBCA), Chinese tertiary institution, $8.6 million investment, Huashang College, Huashang Education Group, China state media, Chinatopix