New deal brings students to TRU from China

May 31, 2016 | 5:13 AM

KAMLOOPS — A landmark deal. That’s the way Thompson Rivers University President Alan Shaver describes a memorandum of agreement signed yesterday between the University and Maple Leaf Education North America.

The deal would provide MLENA with their first Canadian high school, to be located on the TRU campus.

Maple Leaf operates a number of schools in China, where they deliver the B.C. curriculum in that country.

The 20-year old program has more than 7500 B.C. registered students.

In a news release, Dawn Sutherland, MLENA’s president, says TRU’s university village concept is a strong attraction for the students and their parents.

The students coming to the Kamloops school will be selected from among current students in China and will continue their B.C. high school program here.

TRU World Global Operations Associate VP Baihua Chadwick says the program will have a big impact on Kamloops because it will potentially attract professionals and families from other parts of Canada if they wish their children to have a dual credential from both B.C. and China.