On December 10, SUCC held a formal ceremony at its Fengxian Campus to mark two significant milestones: its designation as the Shanghai Center for the UK-based AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group (hereinafter referred to as “AIM Group”), and the international accreditation of its Food Inspection and Testing Technology Program. The event was attended by an AIM delegation including Kevern Kerswell, Chief Executive Officer, Peter Snowball, Chair of the Review Panel, and Dapeng Wang, Managing Director for China. Representatives from SUCC to witness this significant occasion were Zhang Zhengrong, President of SUCC, Zhang Yunbin, Dean of the School of Food and Tourism, and the teaching team of the Food Inspection and Testing Technology Program. The ceremony was hosted by Yu Limin, Director of SUCC’s International Cooperation Division.

In his opening address, Zhang Zhengrong extended a warm welcome to the AIM experts. He emphasized the importance of the accreditation as a strategic move to integrate high-quality international educational resources and advance the college’s global engagement. This accreditation will not only align our curriculum in the Food Inspection and Testing Program and teaching standards with international benchmarks but also inject new momentum into our efforts to deepen international exchange and cooperation, and enhance the quality of our talent development.

Kevern Kerswell praised the Program’s notable outcomes in teaching, research, and practical training. He stated that AIM Group valued the partnership with SUCC greatly, and saw this accreditation as a starting point for deeper collaboration in program development, faculty training, and student’s further education and employment, working together to cultivate highly skilled professionals who meet global standards.

Amidst the applause of all attendees, Kevern Kerswell presented SUCC with two official certificates: one recognizing the college as the AIM Shanghai Center, and the other conferring international AIM accreditation on the Food Inspection and Testing Technology Program. Following the presentation, both sides held detailed discussions on key topics such as the next-phase program development plan, the operational model of the Shanghai Center, and mechanisms for industry-education collaboration, reaching several agreements on future cooperation.

On the morning of the same day, Peter Snowball delivered a special lecture to the Program’s faculty, elaborating on the core principles, assessment criteria, and common considerations in the accreditation process related to the UK-recognized Level 5 certification. The interactive exchange provided valuable guidance for the Program’s ongoing internationalization efforts.

The accreditation process took nearly a year, during which the School of Food and Tourism worked closely with AIM Group to comprehensively upgrade the Program by restructuring the curriculum, refining assessment standards, and aligning with international qualifications. Ultimately, we passed AIM’s rigorous evaluation.

This successful accreditation represents a major stride in SUCC’s internationalization strategy and establishes a meaningful bridge for SUCC in collaboration with European educational institutions. In the future, SUCC will leverage the AIM Shanghai Center as a platform to extend its outreach to relevant colleges and enterprises across the Yangtze River Delta region. This initiative aims to foster the internationalization of vocational education and contribute to the high-quality development of China’s food industry.