The University of Sydney opened its first major offshore education and research facility -- the University of Sydney Center in China.

The new facility opened Friday at Suzhou Industrial Park in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The center will increase intellectual and creative exchanges between Chinese and Australian researchers, academics and students, according to University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and Principal Michael Spence.

He hailed the center as an important milestone in the university's relations with China.

The center will facilitate work placements, internships and other learning opportunities for Australian students in China, host research seminars, conferences and conventions, and provide a teaching and learning environment for collaborative programs with Chinese universities, institutes and industries.

The University of Sydney, Australia's first university established in 1850, has about 12,000 Chinese students on campus and more than 200 academic staff specializing in China directly or collaborating with Chinese researchers.

During Friday's launch event, representatives from the University of Sydney signed MOUs with Fudan University, Tsinghua University's Graduate School in Shenzhen, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and China Construction Bank to facilitate future opportunities in China.

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