The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) has formally signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the CIOB to help develop BIM skills in China.
Signing of the MoU follows a visit from members of UNNC’s Digital City Infrastructure and Technology Innovation Laboratory (D-CiTi Lab) led by Llewellyn Tang to the CIOB earlier this year.
The MoU will see the CIOB and UNNC developing a joint BIM-related international and domestic communication visit and conference. The organsiations will also jointly jointly develop CIOB certification training for the Chinese market and there will be information resource sharing, and talent exchanged between both sides.
Chris Blythe, CEO of the CIOB, believes the MoU is an exciting opportunity to develop collaboration in the areas of BIM and the digital built environment: “UNNC’s D-CiTi Lab takes a leading role in China in supporting BIM education, training, research and development. With this excellent centre in China, we believe our collaboration will facilitate the drive to upskill Chinese and international professionals in BIM and related digital technologies.
“We look forward to collaborating with the UNNC to provide professional and vocational qualifications to raise the level of professional competence.”
Tang, director of UNNC’s D-CiTi Lab, added: “This partnership is crucial for the entire AEC industry on its future and proper use of digital technology that will amplify these appetites and ultimately unlock the BIM talents and all other digital built professionals via world class R&D and training products.
“This partnership will bring the construction sector to the next phase of development on BIM’s managerial and executive training in a global context. Our team from D-CiTi Lab is excited to lead on this together with the CIOB, which is one of the leading professional institutions in our sector.”
BIM has been developing vigorously in China in the past few years and a research team led by Tang and Roy Jin from UNNC recently conducted a study regarding Chinese practitioners’ perception on BIM implementation.
This paper points out that effective BIM training was not perceived a challenge by most participants except those without any BIM experience. This could indicate that gaining BIM experience changes practitioners’ perception on training-related difficulties from “it is a challenge” to “it is not really a challenge”.
The survey indicates the importance and urgency of BIM education and training. D-CiTi Lab of UNNC is committed to introducing the most advanced and adapted BIM experience and education into Chinese construction industry, providing the practitioners with systematic and comprehensive BIM training and cultivating BIM talents for China.
Chris Rudd, UNNC provost, added: “The partnership between UNNC and CIOB exemplifies how we will exploit opportunities in AEC industries. With collaboration in the area of BIM training, research, professional development and mobility, the two parties can make extraordinary contributions in cultivating BIM talents. I’m proud of all the committed researchers who contribute to this collaboration and look forward to sustainable partnership and long-term success.”
This partnership is crucial for the entire AEC industry on its future and proper use of digital technology that will amplify these appetites and ultimately unlock the BIM talents and all other digital built professionals via world class R&D and training products.– Llewellyn Tang, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
