On October 29, a delegation from the University of St Andrews, led by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE, visited Zhejiang University (ZJU). The delegation also included Professor Brad MacKay, Deputy Principal and Vice Principal (international strategy and external relations), and Professor Tom Brown, Vice-Principal (Research, Collections and Innovation). ZJU President Professor Yanming Ma met with the delegation at Zijingang Campus. The two universities held discussions on advancing practical cooperation and signed a university-level Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The visit builds on the exchanges between the two universities earlier this year. In April, Professor Brad MacKay and colleagues from the University of St Andrews visited the International Campus, laying the groundwork for further exchanges and cooperation between the two universities. Since then, the two teams have maintained close communication and actively explored potential areas and models of collaboration, advancing the partnership and paving the way for the signing of the MoU.
On the morning of October 29, the delegation visited the International Campus for further exchanges. Professor Min Li, Chief of the International Campus, met with the delegation and introduced the Campus’s distinctive features and achievements. She expressed her hope that, building on the newly signed agreement, the two universities would work together to explore collaboration in emerging interdisciplinary fields by leveraging their respective academic strengths. Professor Di Chen, Vice Dean of the Zhejiang University–University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJE), introduced the Institute’s development and progress, while Professor Hongwei Wang, Vice Dean of the International Campus, chaired the meeting.
Both sides emphasized that internationalization is a core element of their development strategies and noted a strong alignment in their educational philosophies, quality assurance, and commitment to research-led education. The two sides exchanged views in depth on future collaboration.
During the visit, the University of St Andrews delegation also toured the campus to gain a deeper understanding of its facilities and development.
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Founded in 1413, the University of St Andrews is Scotland’s oldest university and the third-oldest university in the English-speaking world. It comprises four faculties: Arts, Divinity, Medicine, and Science. The University has 10,356 students, including international students from more than 120 countries, making it one of Scotland’s most international universities. It is the alma mater of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and has been associated with six Nobel laureates. Its areas of academic strength include history, philosophy, international relations, psychology, and neuroscience.
(Text: Office of Planning and Advancement; Editor in Image and Text: LI Panyan; Editor-in-Chief: LI Yinan; Reviewer: AI Ni, YANG Yi; Final Reviewer: QU Haidong)