HKUST(GZ) Delegation Visits Over 10 UK Universities Including Cambridge and Oxford, Reaches Multiple Cooperative Agreements

From December 5 to 12, Professor Ting Chuen PONG, Vice-President (Administration & Business) of HKUST(GZ) led a delegation to the UK. The delegation engaged in intensive exchanges with over ten renowned universities, including the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, King’s College London, University of Leeds, and University of Bristol. Undergraduate exchange agreement was signed with the University of Strathclyde. The Chinese Embassy in the UK was visited. And global talent forums in Cambridge and London were hosted to recruit high-caliber talent. A series of outcomes were achieved.

The delegation visited Sweden and Greece before arriving the UK. In the UK,  Professor Ting Chuen PONG, Vice-President (Administration & Business), Professor Yang YANG, Associate Vice President (Teaching & Learning), Professor Lei CHEN, Dean of Information Hub, Professor Shi-Wei LEE, Dean of Systems Hub, Professor Ping GAO, Thrust Head of Advanced Materials, and Mr. Jing FU, Head of the Global Affairs Department, participated in various activities. After concluding the UK visit, the delegation proceeded to Ireland for educational and cultural exchanges.

December 5

On the morning of December 5, Professor Yang YANG and Professor Ping GAO visited the University of Manchester. They introduced the educational journey and interdisciplinary advantages of HKUST(GZ), expressing hopes to explore cooperation opportunities with the University of Manchester in student exchanges, research, and academic personnel mobility. Professor Andrew Stewart, Head of the Department of Computer Science at Manchester, introduced the department’s history and the university strategy of "Manchester 2035," suggesting potential areas for collaboration.

Later, Professor Yang YANG and Professor Ping GAO visited the University of Leeds, where they had a working dinner with Professor Hai-Sui YU, Interim Vice-Chancellor and President of University of Leeds and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. They also held discussions with Professor Kevin MORRIS and Associate Professor Li ZHANG from the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and Professor Karim DJEMANE from the School of Computer Science. Both sides expressed their commitment to promoting pragmatic cooperation and swiftly advancing the implementation of exchange programs to facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate exchanges.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jing FU, Head of the Global Affairs Department, visited the University of Surrey and King’s College London. At the University of Surrey, discussions were held with Professor Jin XUAN, Associate Dean (Associate Dean of Research and Innovation for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and other officials, including Dr. Winnie CHOW, Dr. Tina SCHILBACH, and Dr. Elizabeth LYNCH, about the university’s collaborations with China and the Greater Bay Area. Both parties agreed to expedite the negotiation of student exchange programs.

In the afternoon, Edward DANKS, Partnerships Manager (China, East & Southeast Asia) at King’s College London, introduced relevant initiatives, with both parties agreeing to further work exchanges regarding student exchanges. In the evening, Mr. Jing FU attended a working dinner with Professor Martin ALBROW, a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences, among others.

December 6

In the morning, the delegation visited the University of Cambridge, where they had a lunch exchange with over 20 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers at Westminster College. Professor Yang YANG and Professor Ping GAO introduced HKUST(GZ) and its talent recruitment policies, hoping to attract outstanding young scholars to join the university. Mr. Jing FU hosted the lunch event.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited Downing College, University of Cambridge, and met with Professor Graham VIRGO, Master of Downing College, and Sir David KING, former Master and former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government. Professor Graham VIRGO shared valuable insights on student development, expressing interest in deeper collaboration with HKUST(GZ). Professor Yang YANG and Professor Ping GAO expressed gratitude and invited Downing College students to study and exchange at HKUST(GZ). That afternoon, they also held three exchanges with Cambridge professors in the fields of physics and sustainable development.

In the evening, the HKUST(GZ) delegation attended a working dinner with Sir David KING and Professor Peter NOLAN, who had just been awarded the Friendship Award by the Chinese government, to discuss further collaboration between the two universities.

On December 7, the delegation hosted a working lunch with HKUST alumni. In the afternoon, HKUST(GZ) held a Global Talent Forum in London. As one of the university’s flagship international exchange events, the forum attracted nearly 60 PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and scholars from University College London, Imperial College London, and other institutions. During the networking session, many participants expressed strong interest in contributing to HKUST(GZ).

December 9

Professors Yang YANG, Lei CHEN, Shi-Wei LEE, and Ping GAO visited University College London (East) and met with Professor John MITCHELL, Head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, among others. Professor John MITCHELL shared the department’s development history and research achievements. Professor Yang YANG detailed HKUST(GZ)’s interdisciplinary construction and central laboratories, discussing potential undergraduate and postgraduate exchange programs.

December 10

On December 10, Professors Yang YANG and Shi-Wei LEE visited the University of Bristol, marking the first official return visit since the University of Bristol delegation visited HKUST(GZ) in September on 2023. Professor Michele ACUTO, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Global Engagement), and Professor Ian NABNEY, Associate Dean of the Engineering Faculty Office, engaged in in-depth discussions with the HKUST(GZ) delegation on research collaboration, undergraduate exchanges, summer programs, and other topics.

On the same day, Professor Ting Chuen PONG and his delegation met with Mr. Jianjiang KUANG, Education Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in the UK. Professors Yang YANG, Lei CHEN, Shi-Wei LEE, and Mr. Wei ZHAO from the embassy participated in the meeting.

Counselor Jianjiang KUANG noted that despite current complex international situations posing challenges to educational and cultural exchanges, there is still significant potential for Sino-British universities to collaborate in joint talent cultivation, youth cultural exchanges, media arts, and environmental sustainability. HKUST(GZ) can leverage its interdisciplinary advantages in technology and media arts, technology and carbon neutrality, and sustainable development to innovate higher education and cultural exchanges between China and the UK.

December 11

On December 11, Professor PONG and his delegation held talks with Professor Jennifer PAYNE, Master of Merton College, and Charles ALEXANDER, Financial Bursar of Merton College. Master PAYNE detailed Oxford’s unique collegiate system, promoting mutual understanding and learning among students from different academic, cultural, and year backgrounds. Professor PONG noted that HKUST(GZ) is continually enriching its college system, which aligns closely with Oxford’s collegiate philosophy, fostering student growth through a diverse, open, and inclusive international student community. Master PAYNE and Financial Bursar ALEXANDER expressed their willingness to bridge Oxford’s relevant departments with HKUST(GZ) for pragmatic cooperation.

In the afternoon, Professor Yang YANG and Professor Shi-Wei LEE visited the University of Edinburgh, engaging in discussions with Assistant Professor Mai LUO and Assistant Professor Yuvraj PATEL from the School of Informatics on related topics. At Edinburgh Napier University, the HKUST(GZ) delegation held discussions with Professor Hexin ZHANG, Head of International for the School of Engineering and the Built Environment, and Dr. Wendy Wu, Lecturer at the Business School.

December 12

On the morning of December 12, HKUST(GZ) and the University of Strathclyde held a signing ceremony for the undergraduate exchange agreement in Glasgow. Professor PONG from HKUST(GZ) and Professor Duncan Graham, Associate Principal and Executive Dean of Science of the University of Strathclyde, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.

Later that day, the HKUST(GZ) delegation engaged in discussions with Professor Ian Rivers, Associate Principal and Executive Dean of the Faculty and Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde. The delegation toured the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). They held talks with Professor Fan LIN, Adviser on University Engagement with China at University of Strathclyde, focusing on implementing the undergraduate exchange agreement and discussing the 2025 cooperation plan between the two universities.