The story behind the UCL president's Chinese name

Michael Spence, president and provost of University College London (UCL), speaks fluent and clear Mandarin — a rare distinction among the current leaders of Britain's top universities.

Spence is committed to UCL's engagement with China. At moments such as the start of the academic year and Chinese New Year, he often records messages entirely in Chinese to send his greetings to UCL's Chinese students and alumni.

In a recent interview with China Daily, Spence reflected on his experience of learning Chinese and explained why, whenever Chinese students are present, he makes a point of speaking as much Chinese as he can to connect with them.

Reporter: Zheng Wanyin, Wang Huazhong
Video: Brian Chang, Zheng Wanyin