Liverpool Hosts UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium AGM
The University of Liverpool welcomed members of the UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium to celebrate its Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Established in 2016, the UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium (UKJS) supports research and education collaboration between the UK and the Jiangsu Province in China. It involves 17 UK universities, led by the University of Liverpool, and 32 Jiangsu universities.
The AGM consisted of a one and a half-day conference opening with an online academic forum centred on the Consortium’s three priority areas: green manufacturing, environmental engineering and healthcare with participants discussing research and education developments in these areas of global importance.
Delegates were given the opportunity to tour the University with Professor Alan Marshall, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics and UK Chair of the of the Jiangsu Consortium, leading a tour of the Digital Innovation Facility.
Professor Marshall
Chaired by Professor Marshall, the President’s Panel provided the opportunity to review the Consortium’s activities and discuss how members could best work together across both research and education programmes to address the global challenges such as climate change.
On behalf of the University, Professor Wiebe Van Der Hoek, Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Science and Engineering, welcomed Consortium members from across the UK and Jiangsu to the AGM.
Professor Wiebe Van Der Hoek
He said: “I’d like to thank all speakers and UK-Jiangsu partners for their contributions to this event. I have seen first-hand, both through the Jiangsu 2020 Consortium as well as our partnership with XJTLU, the tremendous benefits our countries gain from collaboration as well as the mobility of students and researchers. We achieve far more working together and we will make greater impact through partnerships which is important if we are to tackle the challenges facing us today.”
An important focus of the AGM was Trans National Education (TNE) and the TNE Forum explored opportunities to work with ASEAN countries and enhance TNE student engagement and learning experiences as well as share best practice.
Associate PVC for Education in the Faculty of Science & Engineering Professor Joe Sweeney, who spoke at the TNE forum, said: “A dynamic transnational education strategy will play a vital role in meeting future challenges; we must be bold in identifying new methodologies for providing student experience, whilst also retaining core excellence in our current teaching, training and learning activities.
“The conversation about how we do this must be inclusive, and continuously seek new active partners to provide the best possible learning journey for the citizens of the future. The UK-Jiangsu consortium will take a leading role in defining and providing these student experiences.”
Professor Joe Sweeney
The UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium is jointly spearheaded by the British Council, UK Universities International, Jiangsu Province Department of Education. Jiangsu is located just north of Shanghai, with the highest GDP per capita of China’s 23 provinces.
From l to r: Cynthia Yu Wang, Prof van der Hoek, Mr Xu Zimin (Deputy Director-General, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education), Prof Alan Marshall, Mr Zheng Xing (Deputy Director of Division for International Cooperation and Exchange, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education)