From 8–9 July, Prof. Li Min, Chief of ZJU International Campus, led a delegation to the United Kingdom. The group strengthened ties with University of Oxford, and University College London, and met with ZJU alumni studying in the UK.
During her visit to the University of Oxford, Li Min visited the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (NDPCHS). Professor Igor Rudan and Administrative Director Nicola Small, on behalf of Department Head Sir Aziz Sheikh, welcomed the delegation and held discussions. Wu Jian, Vice Dean of the International Campus, participated in the meeting. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on conducting joint global health research by leveraging their respective disciplinary strengths and international collaboration networks. They agreed that big data and digital health technologies hold strategic importance in modern global public health systems, emphasizing the need to fully utilize digital technologies to establish global standards. They also proposed integrating epidemiological research with health economics to better inform health policies and investment decisions. Additionally, the two parties discussed joint graduate training programs and advanced health economics training initiatives. During her visit, Li Min also visited Trinity College and Green Templeton College at Oxford University, where she met with Senior Research Fellows Professor Apostolos Tsiachristas, Professor Chris Butler, and Professor Ly-Mee Yu. She gained a thorough understanding of the colleges' foundational characteristics and developmental strengths, and exchanged views on faculty and student exchanges between the colleges.
At University College London, Professor Li Min met with Professor Tao Cheng, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Chair of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. Cheng Tao stated that the two universities are strategic partners, noting that over the past few years they have jointly established a seed fund to support scholars in conducting bilateral collaborative research, which has laid a solid foundation for cooperation. Li Min provided a detailed introduction to the International Campus’s educational model, particularly its distinctive features in cultivating top innovative talents, as well as its future development goals. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on the forms and fields of collaboration.
During her visit to the UK, Li Min met with alumni of the International Campus who are pursuing advanced studies at institutions including the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, and the Francis Crick Institute. She conveyed the campus’s sincere greetings to the students and updated them on the latest developments at the International Campus as well as plans for the 10th-anniversary alumni activities. The alumni expressed that the International Campus’s English teaching and internationally aligned educational model have not only laid a solid foundation for their overseas studies but also continually demonstrated their competitiveness and competence in academic and research activities. Li Min earnestly listened to the alumni’s suggestions for the campus’s development and encouraged them to uphold the spirit of tenacity that characterizes the International Campus, striving for excellence in their respective academic pursuits. She also urged them to continue supporting the campus’s growth, actively participate in educational and scientific exchanges between China and the UK, and contribute to advancing the friendship between the two nations.
University of Oxford
The world’s oldest English-speaking university and a member of Britain’s G5 elite, Oxford has achieved pre-eminence in education, research, medicine, mathematics, economics and history. As the UK’s largest research hub, it publishes more scientific papers in leading international journals than any other British university. In 2019, Zhejiang University and Oxford signed a “4+1” integrated bachelor–master training programme for top students in basic medical sciences.
University College London (UCL)
Founded in 1826 and a G5 member, UCL hosts world-leading institutes such as the National Medical Research Centre and the Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Zhejiang University and UCL established a university-level partnership in 2013, collaborating across philosophy, archaeology, architecture, materials science and other fields. In 2021 the two universities launched a strategic collaboration programme to advance joint research aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Article: XUE Qian
Editing: LI Songjiao
Editing in charge: LI Yinan
Reviewer: YANG Yi
Final Review: QU Haidong