The Queensland-China Education and Training Awards for Excellence have recently acknowledged a number of exceptional Chinese alumni and students for their broad range of activities and achievements. All winners are students of universities in Queensland and the event highlights international education and training partnerships between China and Queensland.

China is Queensland's second largest source of students for international courses, receiving 16, 477 students for enrolment from China (incl. Hong Kong) in 2009.
The awards profile Queensland's significant and successful partnerships with China and celebrate Queensland's outstanding Chinese students and alumni as well as congratulating international students for their contributions to both Queensland and Chinese classrooms and communities.

Brisbane International Student Ambassador, Helen (Yilin) Liu (pictured above) was this year's Student of the Year (Higher Education category) Award.

Helen Liu is a student of the Australian Catholic University (ACU), currently completing a Bachelor of Nursing while serving her second year as a Brisbane International Student Ambassador to help promote Brisbane to potential Chinese students.

Accepting her award at a special reception at the Australian pavilion in Shanghai, Ms Liu said the awards programme helped highlight Brisbane and Queensland's reputation "as a friendly, multicultural and world-class provider of education to international students."

"Winning the Student of the Year award has enabled me to further share my incredible experience of studying in Brisbane to new contacts and media in China," she said.

Among students of the Bachelor of Nursing course at ACU, Helen is one of the highest achievers, obtaining a grade point average of 6/7. Now in her second and final year of studies, Helen plans to extend her ambassadorialship work focusing on activities specifically in China.

Other winners include:
Best Practice in Collaborative Research
Joint Winners:
Creative industries in China, Queensland University of Technology
Research collaboration between The University of Queensland and Central South University

Best Practice in Queensland - China Collaboration
Winner - Higher Education category:
Griffith University
Winner - Vocational Education and Training category:
Unilearn Foundation Program, Education Queensland International
Winner- English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students category:
Building a Queensland Bridge to Young China, Nudgee International College

Alumnus of the Year
Joint Winners - Research category:
Professor Gao Qing Max Lu - The University of Queensland
Professor Feng Han - QUT
Winner - Higher Education category:
Ms Mei Li - The University of Queensland
Winner - Vocational Education and Training category:
Mr Jack Quan Liu - Southbank Institute of Technology
Winner - Schools category:
Mr Xiao (Winson) Chen - Corinda State High School

Student of the Year
Winner - Research category:
Ms Jian Yu Ma - The University of Queensland
Winner - Higher Education category:
Ms Helen (Yilin) Liu - Australian Catholic University (ACU)
Winner - Vocational Education and Training category:
Ms Zitong Mavis Huang - International Education Services (IES)
Winner - Schools category:
Ms Yunong Sun - Stuartholme School

Outstanding Education Agent
EIC Group Ltd

The Awards also formed part of the Queensland Week launch held on Sunday 20 June in the Australian Pavilion. The aim of Queensland Week was to raise awareness about the trade opportunities for Queensland in China, develop business networks and promote industry strengths.

For more information on the Education Awards program, visit www.studyqueensland.qld.edu.au