Zhejiang University delegation visits UAE and Saudi Arabia
From May 22 to 29, Prof. HE Lianzhen, vice president of Zhejiang University, led a delegation to visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In order to expand international cooperation in the Middle East, the delegation had a comprehensive and multi-dimensional talk with local universities, government, research institutions and enterprises on cultural exchanges and cooperation in higher education.
On the morning of May 23, He Lianzhen and the delegation met with Naji Al Mahdi, chief of Qualifications and Awards at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority of the Emirate of Dubai (KHDA), and Nitesh Sughnani, Director of University Ratings at KHDA. HE Lianzhen introduced the overall picture of Zhejiang University and the operation of the International Campus. Naji Al Mahdi and Nitesh Sughnani said that Dubai is a highly open and inclusive region for global education, and that more than 30 foreign universities have branch universities in Dubai. They also introduced the operation system of local international universities in detail.
On the afternoon of May 24, HE Lianzhen exchanged ideas with Ray Johnson, CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute in UAE, and heads of related research centers. HE Lianzhen hoped that both sides would strengthen scientific cooperation in competitive fields and launch joint programs for top-notch talent on the basis of the existing cooperation projects. Ray Johnson expressed a warm welcome to the ZJU delegation and introduced the development of the Technology Innovation Institute since its establishment. The heads of the Advanced Materials Research Center, the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Center, and the AI and Digital Science Center shared with the ZJU delegation the specific details of each center.
After the meeting, HE Lianzhen conferred visiting professorship on Merouane Debbah, Chief Researcher at the AI and Digital Science Center and visited his lab. The ZJU College of Information Science & Electronic Engineering exchanged ideas with the AI and Digital Science Center on 6G communications. They explored the possibility of establishing joint labs or launched joint educational programs.
On the afternoon of May 25, the ZJU delegation visited Khalifa University, where they were warmly received by Dr. Bayan Sharif, provost of Khalifa University. They expected to promote research cooperation and student exchanges in the field of information science and engineering.
During their stay in Saudi Arabia, the ZJU delegation met with Dr. Tony F. Chan, president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and KAUST Provost Lawrence Carin. HE Lianzhen gave a detailed introduction of the Innovation 2030 Research Framework and the Centrifugal Hypergravity and Interdisciplinary Experiment Facility (CHIEF). She said that the two universities have laid a good foundation for cooperation in the fields of energy, chemical engineering, and environmental science. She looked forward to deepening cooperation in scientific research and educational programs. Basically, the two universities reached an agreement on student exchange programs, joint dual-degree programs, and joint research projects. After the meeting, the delegation visited the Bioscience Core Lab and its museum. Researchers from the ZJU College of Life Sciences and KAUST conducted in-depth exchanges.
HE Lianzhen also communicated with those ZJU alumni who are currently working or studying at KAUST. She introduced the latest development of the University and said that the University would continue to support alumni’s development and welcome them back home at any time.
During their visit, the ZJU delegation paid a special visit to LI Xuhang, the Consul General of China in Dubai, and WANG Qimin, the Consul General of China in Jeddah. They both said that the current China-Arab relations are in the prime in history, that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are actively implementing the Look East strategy, and that it is the best time to develop cultural exchanges and educational cooperation. In addition, the delegation visited Chinese School Dubai and had a conversation with Vice Principal to gain a holistic picture of the operation of Chinese School Dubai since its establishment three years ago. They met with the president of Abu Dhabi University to promote mutual understanding. They also met with the chairman of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East to understand the company’s overall operation in the Middle East, school-enterprise cooperation and needs of human resources training, and to explore the possibility of cooperation in terms of internship programs for university students and training programs for corporate managers, etc.