Nanjing University Delegation, led by Yang Zhong, executive vice chancellor of Nanjing University, attended the conference of the alliance of “Jiangsu-UK 20+20 world-class universities” at the invitation of the British Council and signed agreements with the University of Oxford during their visit to the United Kingdom from December 5 to 9, 2017.    

The two agreements are the Cooperation Memorandum of Nanjing University and the University of Oxford and the Protocol on Mutual Visit and Communication between Students in Mathematics, Science and Finance with University of Oxford.      

On December 7, the Fifth UK-China People-to-People Dialogue was held in London, where Liu Yandong, vice premier of China’s State Council, and Jeremy Hunt, UK’s Secretary of State for Health, witnessed the signing of the Protocol of Jiangsu-UK 20+20 World-Class Universities, which marks the establishment of the alliance of “Jiangsu-UK 20+20 world-class universities.”   

On December 8, the conference of the alliance was held in the headquarters of the British Council and was attended by the Yang Zhong-led Nanjing University delegation, representatives of eight universities from UK and five other universities from Jiangsu, representatives of UK’s University Alliance and the British Council, and officials from Jiangsu provincial government and its Education Department.    

The discussions at the conference focused on three issues of the benefits of the alliance to its member universities, challenges the alliance is faced with and special cooperative opportunities offered by the alliance.    

Professor Li Xintian, of Nanjing University’s School of Management and Engineering, shared the experience of project cooperation with the University of Oxford and pointed out that the alliance can promote quality faculty exchange and visitation among member universities, can gain access to financial support from governments and enterprises, and can push forward joint education of students and internationalization of academic research.    

A speaker from the University of York noted many benefits York has drawn through multi-level cooperation with Nanjing University, and he also expressed his hope for increasing cooperation in the education of doctoral students and in faculty development within the frame of the alliance.    

On behalf of Nanjing University, Yang Zhong signed with the University of Oxford the Protocol on Mutual Visit and Communication between Students in Mathematics, Science and Finance.   

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ge Daokai, director of the education department of Jiangsu provincial government, Zou Ninghua, deputy director of the general office and deputy school inspector-general of Jiangsu provincial government, Matthew Knowles, director of the East-Asia Office of the British Council, and Vivienne Stern, head of International Office of UK’s University Alliance.       

The conference of the alliance   

 Signing the protocol at the conference of the alliance      

Before the conference, the Yang Zhong-led delegation visited the University of Oxford and met with Donal Bradley, dean of Oxford’s school of mathematics, physics and life sciences and fellow of the royal academy, and other professors and heads of departments from the mathematics institute.   

Yang said that Nanjing University and the University of Oxford have a solid foundation in their cooperation, and through the financial innovation institute jointly set up, the two schools have already made important achievements in student education and joint research.    

He briefed the hosts that insofar as Nanjing University is listed as aiming at becoming a first-rate university and 15 of its disciplines are listed as aiming at becoming first-rate disciplines in in the Double First-Rate initiative, there will certainly be new opportunities of cooperation between the two universities.    

Bradley noted that the University of Oxford attaches great importance to the cooperation with universities and research institutions in Jiangsu Province and close cooperation with Nanjing University will have positive impact on the development of both.    

He also hoped that through the cooperation memorandum with Nanjing University, the exchange between the faculty and researchers of the two universities can grow and can be carried at the Oxford Suzhou Center for Advanced Research (OSCAR).    

At the end of the meeting, Yang and Donal Bradley signed the Cooperation Memorandum of Nanjing University and the University of Oxford.    

In addition, the Nanjing University delegation also visited Exeter College, University of Oxford, and held discussions with Sir Richard Trainor, president of the university, on matters of cooperation and on student exchange, which will serve as the beginning of the cooperation between the two sides.   

Meeting with the leadership of Oxford University    

Oxford signs the inter-university MOU