With a population of more than 24 million, Shanghai is China’s commercial center.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – An international organization founded by leading universities worldwide and China’s leading recruitment platform has chosen Indiana University Bloomington as a winner of its 2021 China Career Development Award.
The honor designates IU as a Top 50 Professional Collaboration Support Global University.
In its announcement, the Global University Central Career Union said the award recognizes “outstanding work and achievement” by career services professionals at IU during 2020.
“As rough as it was, your continuous effort and collaboration with global employers, despite the volatile economy and social restrictions, guaranteed the active career performance of students,” said Crystal Kong, founder and chief executive officer of Lockin, a sponsor. “You have various world-leading subjects and disciplines, have a good reputation in China’s recruitment industry and are widely recognized by Chinese enterprises.”
Lockin provides employment solutions and career development for Chinese students earning college degrees in the U.S. and elsewhere abroad and others returning. Founded in 2016, the Global University Central Career Union – commonly known as GUCCU – includes a network of more than 60,000 employers and 1,600 global university partners.
Rebecca Cook
“We are very honored to receive this award from GUCCU. We have been a partner with GUCCU for the past four years and really support their mission of connecting students with employers in China,” said Rebecca Cook, executive director of undergraduate career services at the IU Kelley School of Business. “This is particularly important to us because employment in China has become a significant goal and destination for many of our students, including Chinese nationals and international and domestic students.
“Kelley, as well as IU as a whole, have spent a lot of time and energy building up their global relationships with alumni and companies, particularly in China and Southeast Asia. We have an influential, wonderful alumni base there and believe that this award is especially meaningful given how hard our alumni have worked to build the IU and Kelley brands in their home countries,” Cook added. “We hope to continue collaborating with GUCCU and our international alumni/partners to promote IU’s and Kelley’s institutional prestige, as well as our diverse, skilled students as leading global talents.”
IU’s Global Gateway in Beijing works closely with colleagues in the Office of International Services at IU Bloomington and IUPUI to build and maintain meaningful connections with businesses in China and to offer alumni access to all of the career services available. Having an in-country presence to connect students, parents, alumni, and international partner universities to IU has created a strong network that supports the global community.
Cook said the recognition is especially meaningful given that 2020 was a very tough year for the global employment market, Kelley students were not immune. “People were forced to cancel travel/study abroad plans and became more insular,” she said. “As global economies rebound, it is wonderful to see IU/Kelley recognized as a global partner.”