UNIVERSITY College Worcester will be staging a graduation ceremony with a difference today when 10 Chinese government officials are handed their degrees.

The postgraduate delegation, all high-ranking Government officers and administrators from Guangxi province, are due to graduate with MAs in management studies.

They will be the first to emerge from their studies under a contract with the University College which will see a further seven sets of senior Chinese officials studying in Worcester.

Peter Nightingale, chief executive of the China-British Business Council, will present all 10 degrees at 3.30pm.

The course involved the study of western business methods, placements at the city and county councils, English language training and opportunities to sample British culture - from Shakespeare to Manchester United.

"We're delighted with the success of this first delegation who between them have achieved four distinctions," said John Nixon, head of the China section of the college's International Office.

"We're developing excellent academic links with provinces across China and hope to build on these with more delegations studying with us."

Student Ke Gesheng, a personnel manager for Guangxi province, said he now planned to recruit more British experts and send Chinese trainers to Britain.

"My main area of work is recruitment and there are many ideas and concepts I've learned which I hope to use in the future," he added.

"The course will be very useful for my job and I'll now be able to talk to the English experts we employ with more confidence."