In order to enhance the development level of NWU’s Chinese-Foreign Cooperatively-run Educational Programs and promote high-quality cooperation programs with the UK, Vice President Cao Rong led a delegation to visit the UK from October 14th to 16th, together with the director of the Office of International Cooperation, representatives from the School of Information Science and Technology and the School of Life Sciences also joined part of the visit.
At the University of Essex, Cao Rong and her delegation had a discussion with Prof. Maria Fasley, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex, and the two universities had an in-depth discussion on the high-quality development of the cooperatively-run educational program and future collaboration of the two parties into a multidisciplinary, wide-field and all-around inter-university cooperation, and signed a supplementary agreement of the“Northwest University and the University of Essex Progression Agreement”. This supplementary agreement broadens the options for students to pursue higher education and future employment for students of the cooperatively-run educational program. Related officials from the International Department of the University of Essex, the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, and the School of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science attended the meeting.
At the University of Leeds, the delegation met with the President, Prof. Yu Haisui, Vice-President for Student Education, Prof. Jeff Grabill, and the deans of the Department of International Market Development, the Department of Arts, Humanities and Culture (School of History, School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science), and the Department of the Environment (School of the Earth and the Environment), and had in-depth exchanges with them on the promotion of joint training of students, mutual visits, joint scientific research and other programs in the fields of archaeology, geology, philosophy, history, literature, etc. Two parites signed an agreement on student exchange programs.
At the University of York, the delegation had a discussion with Prof. Ambrose Field, Vice-President for Global Strategy, and the deans of the Department of International Admissions, Cooperation and Exchange, the Faculty of Science, and the Department of Biology. Afterwards, Cao Rong and her delegation visited the teaching environment, experimental facilities and students’ interactive seminar areas in the Biology Building of the University of York, and had a meeting with Prof. Ian Graham, member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, learnt about his latest research results of the New Crops Research Center, exchanged ideas and signed a “2+2” dual degree undergraduate program agreement in the field of life sciences.
At Aberystwyth University, the delegation was received by President John Timmis, Vice President Patrick Finney, and the heads of the Department of International Enrollment and Development, the Department of Life Sciences, and the Department of English and Creative Writing. The two universities held in-depth discussions on topics such as strengthening cooperation in life sciences and international relations, promote student exchanges, and conduct cooperation in teaching and research, and renewed the Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities.