On 17 December, a delegation from the University of Exeter (UK) visited Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT). Lisa Roberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and Gao Xiang, President of ZJUT and Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of the two universities. Zheng Huajun and Zhang Xiaoqin, Vice Presidents of ZJUT, together with Wang Jianfeng and Shi Minli, leaders of Deqing County, attended the ceremony.
At the signing ceremony, President Gao Xiang stated that ZJUT is striving to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics and is committed to becoming a cultural hub for international education and global exchanges. At present, ZJUT has established sound cooperative relations with more than 180 universities around the world. The University of Exeter is an important global strategic partner of ZJUT, with frequent exchanges and close cooperation between the two sides, and remarkable achievements have been made in scientific research, talent cultivation and other fields. He expressed the hope that taking this signing as an opportunity, the two universities will further deepen cooperation in education, talent development, scientific research and achievement transformation, and make greater contributions to the development of global higher education.
Lisa Roberts stated that the University of Exeter has identified global climate issues, ecological crises, key challenges in human health, and the promotion of social inclusion as priorities in its 2030 strategy. As a renowned higher education institution in China, ZJUT and the University of Exeter are both committed to the development of high-quality education, and close cooperation will further facilitate the achievement of their common goals. She looked forward to joint efforts by both sides in the future to further expand the influence of education and scientific research in fields such as energy and environment, and digital technology.
On behalf of the Deqing County Party Committee and the County People's Government, Wang Jianfeng, Deputy Secretary of the Deqing County Party Committee and Acting County Magistrate, extended a warm welcome to Lisa Roberts and the delegation. He said that both the University of Exeter and ZJUT boast strong scientific research capabilities and high teaching quality, and the strong alliance between the two sides promises a bright future. Deqing’s cooperation with ZJUT has grown increasingly close and yielded many tangible results. We sincerely welcome the University of Exeter to take this opportunity to locate more research projects, achievement transformation and talent development initiatives in Deqing, and become an important partner in promoting Deqing to the world. Going forward, Deqing will fully optimize its services and provide the best educational environment for the cooperation between the two universities.
An appointment ceremony for Professor Li Li as Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter was also held at the signing ceremony.
Responsible persons from relevant departments and colleges of ZJUT, including the University Office, the Student Work Department of the Party Committee, the Graduate Work Department of the Party Committee, the Administrative Committee of Mogan Mountain Campus, the Development Planning Office, the Academic Affairs Office, the Graduate School, the Finance Office, the International Exchange and Cooperation Office, the Campus Construction Office, and the International College, attended the ceremony.
During the visit, the delegation from the University of Exeter toured the Chemical Engineering Training Center, the Exhibition Hall of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Membrane Separation and Water Treatment, the Smart Classrooms in the Public Teaching Building, the Library, and the Moganshan Research Institute at ZJUT’s Moganshan Campus.
