Ambassador encourages education exchanges between China and UK

China's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Zheng Zeguang visited the University of Oxford on Monday, where he promoted deeper educational exchanges between China and the UK.

During the visit, Zheng met with Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of the university, and had an in-depth discussion on the university's collaboration with Chinese counterparts.

Zheng also met with leaders and representatives from the university's Said Business School, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, or COI, and the Department of Engineering Science, all of which have established partnerships with academic and research institutions in China.

"China will remain firmly committed to the openness of education. We encourage students to study abroad … They can be pillars of Chinese society in the future, and they can also be great bridges of communication, friendship, and collaboration between China and the rest of the world," Zheng said when meeting with the delegation from the Said Business School.

Said Business School is currently in preliminary or active discussions with more than 12 business schools in China, according to Deputy Dean of the School Jonathan Reynolds.

Several education modules have been designed to help students understand the changing Chinese market and develop tools to conduct business in the country, said Reynolds. The programs integrate classroom activities with collaborative sessions at a range of Chinese companies located in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong province, as well as Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

Zheng expressed hope for the advancement of the relationship between Said Business School and its counterparts, and that more British people can become interested in operating businesses in China or collaborating with Chinese companies through the school.

Dean of the school Soumitra Dutta echoed the ambassador's comments, noting China's global influence as the world's second-largest economy. He expressed his willingness to foster more connections to bridge East and West, for example, by developing online courses on the innovations of Chinese companies.

During his visit to COI, Zheng highlighted the fact that science has no national borders, and said he hopes the institute achieves more and greater accomplishments to contribute to China-UK technological cooperation and the improvement of global welfare.

As China's first medical sciences institute in the UK hosted by the University of Oxford, the institute offers many opportunities for cooperation and exchange. For example, each year, Chinese students enrolled in eight-year medical courses at 14 medical universities in China will be selected to pursue doctoral studies at the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford, according to Dong Tao, founding director of COI.

The ambassador also met with Chinese students studying at the university and listened to their experiences as international students, while encouraging them to broaden their knowledge and capacity, promote friendship and goodwill during their stay in the UK, and make contributions to closer exchanges and cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

zhengwanyin@mail.chinadailyuk.com