From April 27 to 30, Zhou Rujun, Secretary of the CPC YCIT Committee, led a delegation to visit the University of Greenwich, the University of Kent, and the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom, and the University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara in Italy. The visit promoted in-depth cooperation between YCIT and its partner universities in joint programs, faculty-student exchanges, collaborative research, and talent recruitment, yielding fruitful results. Officials from the Party Committee Office, Human Resources Department, School of Mathematics and Physics, School of Electrical Engineering, and the International Exchange and Cooperation Department accompanied the visit.
University of Greenwich (UoG): The delegation was warmly received by Professor Andrew Westby and Professor Peter Griffiths, Vice Chancellors of the university, along with relevant directors of international affairs. The two sides reviewed the 20-year history of their joint education program and renewed the cooperation agreement for a new term.
Renewal of Cooperative Education Agreement with UoG
Visited C22 Electrical Engineering International Class Students Studying at UoG
University of Kent (UoK): Professor Eddy Hogg, Representative of the Vice-Chancellor, and Hannah McNorton, Head of the International Office, received the delegation. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the cooperation model, academic disciplines, and application timeline for a proposed Sino-foreign cooperative education institute, and signed a joint cooperation statement. The delegation also paid a special visit to Lord Jo Johnson, former UK Education Secretary, to discuss the application. Earlier, on April 10, Lord Johnson had delivered a keynote speech at a conference in Beijing titled “Building a Solid Standard Foundation, Deepening International Collaboration,” at the invitation of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange under the Ministry of Education. He has long been committed to promoting exchanges between Chinese and British universities. Lord Johnson expressed his continued interest in and support for the cooperation between the two universities and wished it every success.
Meeting with UoK
Meeting with Lord Jo Johnson, Former UK Education Secretary
University of Strathclyde (UoS): The delegation was received by Professor A. M. Galloway, Vice-Principal of the university. The two sides held extensive discussions on research cooperation, faculty-student exchanges, and discipline development in mechanical engineering, and reached a consensus on establishing a regular exchange mechanism. After the meeting, the delegation visited relevant laboratories to learn about the latest research achievements in advanced manufacturing and new energy.
Meeting with UoS
University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara (Ud’A): The delegation was received by Professor Liborio Stuppia, Rector of the university. The two sides had productive exchanges on joint talent cultivation, academic visits, and collaborative research innovation. Zhou Rujun noted that Chieti is a sister city of Yancheng, and Ud’A, with its long history and distinctive characteristics, shares many similarities with YCIT in discipline configuration and development orientation, offering broad prospects for cooperation. The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Luigi Fabbozi, President of the Municipal Council of Chieti. The President warmly welcomed the delegation and pledged full support for the cooperation between the two universities, hoping that educational collaboration would further promote friendly exchanges between Yancheng and Chieti.
Meeting with Ud’A
Meeting with Luigi Fabbozi, President of the Municipal Council of Chieti
The visit was intensive and fruitful, resulting in multiple consensus agreements on joint education, collaborative research, and faculty-student exchanges, thereby further expanding YCIT's cooperation network in the UK and Italy. Moving forward, YCIT will continue to deepen pragmatic cooperation with its British and Italian partners across various fields, accelerate the implementation of cooperative projects, expand its international education pathways, and inject new momentum into nurturing high-quality technical and skilled talents with a global perspective and into enhancing the university’s international reputation.
