Vice President visits British and German universities to deepen partnership

A delegation led by Prof. HE Lianzhen, Vice President of Zhejiang University, paid a visit to University College London (UCL), SOAS University of London (SOAS), Imperial College London, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and RWTH Aachen University (RWTH) with a view to deepening partnership between ZJU and world-class universities in England and Germany.

On the morning of September 23, HE Lianzhen met with Dr. Dame Nicola Brewer, ViceProvost (International) of UCL. Both parties reviewed a series of collaborative programs in arts and humanities, material sciences, chemical engineering and public health and renewed the MoUregarding inter-university partnership. They also arrived at a consensus on deepening effective cooperation in several key domains. UCL ranks eighth in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and third in the United Kingdom. Many subjects at UCL rankamong the world top 10, including education, archaeology, anatomy & physiology, anthropology, pharmacy & pharmacology, geography, medicine, psychologyand life sciences & medicine.

On the afternoon of September 23, HE Lianzhen met with Baroness Valerie Amos, Director of SOAS and Prof. Stephen Hopgood, Pro-Director (International) of SOAS. Both parties held in-depth discussions on student exchanges, joint programs and collaborative research, thus mapping a clear direction for cooperation in the next phase. SOAS is the world’s leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.With its vast repository of knowledge and expertise on our specialist regions, SOAS is uniquely placed to inform and shape current thinking about the economic, political, cultural, security and religious challenges of our world.

On September 24, HE Lianzhen and Prof. Maggie Dallman, Vice President (International) of Imperial College London, had a meeting. Both parties reviewed cooperation and exchange programs in green energy, offshore engineering and data science and renewed the MoUconcerning inter-university partnership. Imperial College Londonranksninth in the 2020 QS World University Rankings andfourth in the United Kingdom. Its leading subjects include chemical engineering, civil engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science.

On September 26, HE Lianzhen met with Prof. JulianeWinkelmann, Senior Vice President for International Alliances and Alumni at TUM. Both parties introduced the latest academic achievements, development strategies and key initiatives and reached a consensus on strengthening cooperation in cutting-edge domains. TUM ranks first in Germany and 55thin the 2020 QS World University Rankings. It is committed to excellence in research and teaching, interdisciplinary education and the active promotion of promising young scientists. Itis one of the first universities in Germany to be named a University of Excellence. Its leading subjects include physics and astronomy, electronic and electrical engineering, architecture, mechanical engineering, agriculture and forestry, and computer sciences.

On September 27, HE Lianzhen met with Prof. Ute Habel, Vice Rector for International Affairs at RWTH Aachen University. Both parties renewed the MoU regarding cooperation between the ZJU Faculty of Engineering and the RWTH School of Mechanical Engineering and the agreement on the student exchange program. The Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments provided RWTH with a unique opportunity to boost its research profile by strengthening the natural sciences and fostering interdisciplinary research.RWTH achieves excellent results in the internationally respected QS Ranking by Subject, particularly well in Engineering & Technology, placing 44th worldwide, and 2nd among German universities. Its leading subjects include mechanical engineering, civil engineering, material sciences, electronic and electrical engineering and chemical engineering.