Findings
1.The Dean's interview
In relation to policy the Dean was asked about national policy and the strategy of forming relationships with foreign education institutions，in this case universities with early childhood teaching degrees. We asked the CAP model the main one that had been adopted by the MoE and what government and university regulations needed to be addressed when the proposal was designed. In relation to policy and relations with foreign universities the Dean explained：
To answer this question，we need to be situated in the context of education development in China. The direction of development in past decades has been to reform and open up. To be consistent with the reform and opening up policy internationalisation，or cooperating with foreign universities，has been one of the most important aspects of educational development.…An important way to enhance international cooperation is to set up cooperation programs with foreign universities，within which there are many forms.…The purpose of the MoE in issuing international education cooperation policies is to enhance education development，as well as to facilitate communication between Chinese and foreign education systems. The cooperation should be a win-win relationship. As for the purpose of our cooperation I think the main purpose is to improve the quality of our graduates.
In regards the quality of the students the Dean thought this was especially relevant for the present project because of the demand for early childhood teachers.
For the early childhood education program，I think the demand for kindergarten teachers is enormous. This is why many universities started to establish the early childhood education major. We are a key normal university affiliated to the MoE，therefore，our graduates should be different from graduates from other universities.
The Dean also commented on the different forms cooperation with foreign universities has taken. Initially the Associate Dean had approached the university with a proposal for a 4 ＋0 relationship meaning that students would study in China for four years with Australian academics coming to China to teach. The proposal was changed to encompass two models，the 2＋2 CAP as well as the 4＋0.
In terms of direct government support he said：
We have received three types of support. First is policy support. That is，the government promulgated certain policy which allowed us to establish such a program.…Second is financial support. For example，the government allocates money for the students who enrol in the cooperation program as well as others who don't and allows us to charge a higher fee for the cooperation program.…The third type of support is supervision. Through evaluation the MoE ensures that out program is healthily developed. I suggest you discuss this with the Associate Dean who has applied for a research project on this international cooperation and received funding.
In relation to design of the project and regulations the Dean referred us to the Associate and Deputy Deans. He did comment on requirements for entering the teaching workforce in China.
The reality of the teacher labour market in China is that we prepare more teacher candidates than schools need. So，to be qualified as a teacher the graduate needs to obtain a teacher certificate no matter which university s/he graduates from. Graduates from key normal universities used to be exempt from the teacher certificate examination but the policy changed this year and everyone needs to obtain the certificate through examination. So，when they are back from Australia，they would still need to obtain a certificate.
The Dean thought the project was working reasonably well：
This is the fourth year since the program was established. I would say that every project lacks experience at the beginning. The biggest challenge we have is how to deal with the relationship among the three parties. Besides the Australian university and us，the third party is the agent. After a few years of collaboration，I think we are getting better at cooperation and communicating with each other.
For the future：
All the international cooperation projects are required to be evaluated by the MoE after two years and only 20% of the evaluated programs have passed with no condition. Our project was passed with no conditions.
Challenges the Dean acknowledged was the need for students to acquire improved English skills. The agent is in charge of delivering the English courses and the university has been communicating through the agent to address problems like constant turnover with the English teachers. The demand for so many courses to be taught in English by Australian academics each year he could see was a stretch for the partner institution. A complicating factor he said is that the agent is responsible for the eight courses to be taught into the 4 ＋0 model while the Australian university is responsible for teaching the 2＋2 students for four courses. A major problem is the low uptake of student numbers going to Australia for the two years tuition. On employment chances for the students the Dean said they would have a better chance of a job：
…because they have overseas experience. The kindergarten sector in China has developed dramatically. Although many centers have limited resources，there are some high-end kindergartens who emphasise teaching English. Our students have great and significant advantages when applying for jobs at these high-end kindergartens. I think some of the students may choose to continue to study or want to find a job in Australia.
2.The Associate Dean's interview
The Associate Dean is an active researcher with interests in policy，financial policy，management of early childhood education，children's learning and science education. She was the head of the Department of Early Childhood Education at the university and on the university teaching committee. The Associate Dean prepared the applications for the 4 ＋0 and the 2 ＋2 partnership proposals for the MoE on behalf of the university. After a successful evaluation by the MoE in 2014 she applied for research funds to promote the enterprise. This application was also successful. For the original proposal for the 2＋2 program the Associate Dean worked through an agent to provide assistance and guidance in selecting and contracting a foreign partner. This agent also provides English language tuition for the students in China and arranges English language assessment tests. For the agent，the preliminary liaison with the Australian university was done officially through the Transnational Education Department. Like the Dean the Associate Dean answered in Chinese and her comments were translated.
The Associate Dean was asked about the CAP.
I am the one who applied and implemented the program. Also，the three courses I teach are part of the curriculum of the 2＋2.
We asked about the steps for applying for the CAP and gaining approval as well as the role of the government. On the latter，the answer was similar to the Dean's explanation.
The government is involved in two ways. One is to issue policies that approve/facilitate the 2＋2 program and the other is to evaluate the program regularly. If we pass the evaluation the government will provide some reward.
On the positive evaluation，she said：
Our future is bright. Our program is a national one and the government requires that the program exists for at least ten years.
She further added that in terms of the ten-year plan：
We are making plans. We will initiate many reforms next year. The details ofthe plan need to be discussed with the university first. I would like to see more exchange opportunities for teachers and students from both sides and more cooperation on research. I expect to extend our cooperation to Master and Doctoral degree levels，not only at the undergraduate level. We have discussed this with our vice president and s/he agreed.We can set up research units and schedule regular visits between the two universities.
The Associate Dean had worked with the agent during the establishment phase of the project and the role played by the agent was part of our inquiry.
They，the agent，are only a management organisation and they know nothing about early childhood education and research. Their duty is to provide services to facilitate the process of student visa applications，English learning and other related affairs. They also arrange meetings between the two universities to sign agreements and memos. To use a metaphor the agent is like a matchmaker who is an essential agent. Once we have met we need to communicate directly as a couple. The direct communication is especially important for the teaching and research aspects of our cooperation.
As a major figure in the delivery of the undergraduate degree the Associate Dean was asked about the design of the early childhood teaching degree in regards to the relationship between theory and practice，assessment policies and relationship to national curriculum. She said‘yes’to the degree being part of the national curriculum and described the practicum arrangements. She also discussed how university policy had changed in 2014 and examinations were no longer the main form of assessment.
There are now three assignments during the course that weigh 60% of the assessment while the other 40% depends on the final examination. There are three assignments，20 marks for each. If the student actively participates in the class s/he will get extra marks.Also，there are extra marks for attendance but these extra marks should not exceed 5.(https://www.daowen.com)
When asked about challenges：
First challenge is students’English skills. Another is how to schedule their specialised courses and English courses. It is hard to balance between the two types of courses. I think English skills is still the biggest concern of ours given it is the tool.
The final part of the interview dealt with possible advantages of studying abroad which the Associate Dean was enthusiastic about as she had been a visiting scholar in America and thought the‘experience helped me to get to know the early childhood system in America’. For the present cohort of Chinese students she thought‘they will benefit in terms of professional development，English skills and international vision. These three aspects will all be improved’.
3.The Deputy Dean's interview
The Deputy Dean assisted the Associate Dean in the preparation of the original proposal for the CAP and the university approach to the MoE. She took much of the responsibility for the implementation of the degree at the Chinese end and was the main liaison between the agent and academics from the two universities. Professional visits have been made to the Australian university on a number of occasions. The Deputy Dean's research interests are early childhood curriculum，especially play，cooperation with parents and professional development. Within the degree，she teaches‘Children's play’，is responsible for arranging temporary lecturers，supervises student's research projects and liaises with centres to arrange student placements.
The Deputy Dean was asked about her role in developing the CAP：
I think it was in 2011. We prepared the application documents and sent them to the university who helped us apply for this program with the MoE. The program was approved by the MoE in 2011 but we started to enrol students in 2012.
Whose idea was it to set up the partnership?
The Associate Dean，colleagues from the Foreign Affairs Office of the university asked if she would apply.
Who chose the Australian partner?
The agent. They have a close relationship with the Foreign Affairs Office of the university and they told us there is an Australian university that is very good.
We asked about the national early childhood education curriculum in China and the Deputy Dean said that she teaches two compulsory courses，one of these is‘Children's play’. She used this course to explain assessment.
The university requires the course assessment to be divided into two parts：minor assignments during the course and a final examination. The former has a 60% weighting and the latter 40%. We cannot change the weight part but we can design the activities for the 60%.Participation is just a little part of it. In my courses，I give the students many assignments.Take‘Children's play’as an example，I give the students 6-7 assignments. We just finished the presentation assignment and another is an observation and a discussion of the ideas(theory) underneath the practice observed.
The Deputy Dean discussed the problems of organising curriculum when there are a number of concurrent programs running and students have different needs. The requirement that students should study compulsory politics courses makes it difficult to ensure enough time in other areas，especially for students preparing to go abroad. She pointed out that the different countries require different skills in their teacher workforce such as painting and music，the arts are no longeremphasised in Australian teacher training and must be included in the first two years of the Chinese degree.
In the first two years，we must spend some time on politics courses. This is required by Chinese law that every student should know about politics. There are also some students who will not go abroad，so we need to think about what are the aims of our course. There is a free teacher education policy (program) that six normal universities directly supervise under the MoE. These students are fee exempt and are required to work in the schools/kindergartens in their home provinces for ten years. But the 2＋2 students are not enrolled as fee exempt and must pay fees. So，they can make a choice and go to any city they want. There are two aims：one is for students who go abroad，the other is for students who stay here. There are some conflicts that we need to balance. This is why in the first two years the focus is a little confused. In most of the kindergartens they want teachers to play the piano and paint. So，they spend a lot of time learning these skills. In your country，I think they do not have enough time to learn these skills.
English skills were once again emphasised as a main challenge for the 2＋2 degree as well as better preparation for studying abroad.
English is a problem. Many students，including us，are not good at English. We cooperate with the agent to improve students’English. I think for the students English learning is a problem. But I know this is the responsibility of the agent. I think the agent has a good relationship with your university，especially in English learning.
Also，your colleagues and us，need to inform students what the program is about，what it requires，and what they should know before they go abroad. So，we gave some lectures with people from your university，our university and the agent. We encourage students to go abroad. It's a good chance for them to get to know a different culture and education system.
The evaluation of the CAP project and the research project of the Associate Dean were mentioned as positive features for the future of the partnership.
The name of the project is‘Australia and China cooperating to cultivate excellent preschool teachers’. This will last for ten years. If this 2＋2 program can go smoothly it is a good chance to improve our teachers and research in the two countries.
This academic was the one who has maintained contact with the Chinese students abroad and commented on the possible benefits of their experiences. She also thought the experience should advantage them on the employment front.
I keep contact with some students and they told me what they want to do next. They want to get a master degree and some want to work in Australia. So，I think those students who want to go to Australia could at least gain professional development，know different cultures and make friends. By living by themselves they can learn how to cook and become independent.
4.Discussion
The differences between the three interviews were an illustration of the roles that these players had in the CAP. There were，however，similarities in the information supplied，especially in regards a shared focus. This was a project designed to provide the university with a particular educational service that supports both the university's aim to be competitive globally and the MoE's policy of developing collaborative partnerships. The project，therefore，is embedded in theeconomic and political environment of education reform in China，both for higher education and early childhood education. When considering the original premise of the 2＋2 project it seemed that this was deemed on track by the three interviewees，though all perceived some problems. The Dean spoke in broader policy terms of the opening up and reforms that would improve the quality of graduates. The Associate Dean was already planning how to extend the relationship and had achieved research support to do this. The Deputy Dean was the most grass roots in her approach and did describe some of the challenges faced when providing for different cohorts of students.
The strategies used to establish the partnership involve the central role of the agent and this touches on two discourses. One is the literature on how important networks are to build partnerships in China (Ai，2006) and the other is the role played by diplomatic strategies in relation to the significance given to engagement with the outside world that has been a driving force for China in the pursuance of partnerships (Feng ＆ Huang，2014) since the‘Open Door Policy’of Deng Xiaoping in 1978 (Hutchins ＆ Weir，2006) . In the story of this partnership the two overlap. The Dean referred to the‘opening up’at the beginning of his interview as a way of explaining the CAP as strategic policy. The Associate Dean was suitably connected to propose the initiative as she had colleagues in the Foreign Affairs Office of the university，the agent was connected to the Foreign Affairs Office，the Transnational Education Department at the Australian university and had a contract with the private arm of the Australian university that provides English tuition. The agent was an important part of the Associate Dean's network. Such connections in China are termed guanxi and have been described as working in a similar way to social network theory (Hammond ＆ Glenn，2004) . Without these connections，this project would probably not have happened. An issue that emerged as a threat to the project mentioned by these three key interview figures was its sustainability in terms of low student uptake which was thought to be a twofold issue；one was the low numbers approved for the program by the MoE and the Dean suggested the need to apply for a higher intake，the other was the quality of the student's English.A third point was that all appeared committed to continuing the partnership with an emphasis on also introducing research partnerships. This was expressed strongly by the Associate and Deputy Deans.
The questions presented in this paper：
How was this project developed?
The process of applying and setting up this project has been described. The driver for the Chinese university was its standing as a 211-designated university and connections made the CAP possible. What is the long-term potential for capacity building from this initiative? The three interviewees all thought there were advantages that would accrue to the participating students through the program in relation to the international experience and their English skills. The latter would be valuable for gaining employment in Australia and also for‘highend’centres in China. The Dean was the one who focused most on the students in general terms saying that an aim of the initiative was to improve the quality of graduates. This is probably the closest to the original aim of the project as the stated purpose in the first agreement，signed in 2012 was：
[The Australian university and the Chinese university] have agreed to enter into a collaborative arrangement. The purpose of the collaborative arrangement is for both parties to jointly develop advanced educational activities and materials and to provide the opportunity for students to benefit from the provision of internationally recognised education programs.
An advantage of this present arrangement for the Chinese students is that the degree has full teaching accreditation status in both countries. This is desired by the MoE but not a compulsory requirement (China Higher Education，2014) and the fact that this degree is a formal qualification in Australia has given the CAP status in the eyes of the MoE who have awarded the Chinese university funds to further develop the venture. However，low uptake is an issue，especially for the Australian partner who entered the relationship with an express aim to raise revenue.